Samuel Stennett was born in Exeter in western England in 1727. In 1737, when he was about ten, the family moved to London
where his father became the pastor of Little Wild Street Baptist Church at Lincoln's-Inn-Fields. Not long after that, he was
"converted" and was baptized by his father. He joined the Little Wild Street Baptist Church. Although he observed the
seventh day of the week as the Sabbath, he was always a member of this church.
001
Like his father, he received most of his education in London. He did his preparatory studies for the ministry under Rev.
John Hubbard and Dr. John Walker, the latter a noted linguist. Hubbard was a pastor at Stepney and in the period 1740-1743
he was also a theological tutor. Therefore, it is likely that Samuel studied under Hubbard some time between the ages of
thirteen and sixteen. Thus for his studies
under Hubbard, Samuel went about two miles east from Lincoln's Inn Fields to Stepney which is in the
east side of London, on the north bank of the Thames and includes the historic Tower of London. These men, by their
teaching, produced many fine ministers who were "critical, learned, and evangelical."
002
Stennett's education included Latin, Greek "and the Oriental tongues." He had a wide knowledge of Church
writers, literature, history, and government.
003
By the time he was about twenty, the church had "several trials of the gifts of brother Samuel Stennett" and they heard
him preach at an evening service on July 30, 1747. At the church meeting which followed the same evening, it was voted
that he "be called out into the public service of the ministry." The next summer, on July 24, after they had more
opportunity "to partake of the gifts bestowed on brother Samuel Stennett, it was thought very advisable to call
him to their service, as an assistant to the pastor."
When this proposition was voted on, it passed unanimously. Thus Samuel became an assistant to his father at almost exactly
the same age as his brother, Joseph Ill, had been when he was called to the same position. As far as I know there had
been no assistant minister during the six years between the moving of
Joseph III to Coate in Oxfordshire and the calling of Samuel.
004
In 1747 or 1748, Samuel, "being regularly called out to the Ministry," was admitted to the Baptist Board (of ministers).
005
He was active in that society, and, for example, on April 30, 1751, he was chosen secretary of the Board.
006
As Samuel Davies, one of the men representing Princeton College, dined at Stennett's home of Saturday, March 16, 1753,
007
I suggest that Stennett's employment as the assistant minister at Little Wild Street in 1748 had given him
sufficient income to be married and start a home. The couple's first child, Master Haley Stennett, died about 1757.
He was their only child at that time.
008
On February 7, 1758, his father, Joseph II, died at Bath (a city in western England). Accordingly, the church voted to
call him to the full pastorate and thirty-two of the men of the congregation signed the call.
009
On May 5, (1758) he
replied to the call. Even though he was about thirty-one years old, he considered the full spiritual care of a congregation
as a very serious business, and he was hesitant to accept the call. Having a sense of duty toward God and knowing of
congregation's approval of his work and the unanimity of the call, he did accept
010
and he was ordained on June 1 of that year. Dr. John Gill and Mr. Benjamin Wallin, fellow Baptist ministers,
both preached at the ore.
011
Early in Samuel's ministry, through a misunderstanding, John Wesley heard of him. About this time, a report had been
circulated that Wesley had recommended the use of a crucifix (a picture of Christ on the cross) by a man who had been sentenced to death. John Wesley traced the report and found that it had originated from "Dr. Stennett, an anabaptist teacher." Someone asked Stennett about the report and he replied that he, too had visited this prisoner in his cell . . . and I knew Mr. Wesley used to visit him: so I supposed he had brought it." When the reply reached Wesley, he said in a Christian spirit: "This is the whole of the matter. Dr. Stennett himself I never yet saw; nor did I ever see such a picture in the cell: and I believe the tale is pure invention."
012
King George II was a favorite of the Dissenters for he would not allow religious persecution. Although he was immoral,
the most important thing was that he was not belligerent toward the Dissenters!
013
Samuel Stennett, in his 1760 sermon "occasioned" by the death of George II, compared George's thirty-three year
reign with David's thirty-three year reign over all Israel as recorded in the Bible.
014
Stennett praises George II for his championing of English "liberties, both civil and religious,"
and for his "prudent and just care of his own dominions" as well as the continental war of the Austrian Succession
which Stennett said was an act intended to extend liberty.
015
Samuel, like his father and grandfather before him, was a loyal supporter of the government; the
Protestant succession in the Royal house was vital to the Protestant Dissenters.
016
The publication of this sermon, reaching two editions in two months, started Samuel off in the publishing world.
Although Samuel is only thirty-seven years old in 1763, the honorary degree, Doctor of Divinity, was conferred on him by
the King's College and University of Aberdeen! As we look back on it, we realize that his greatest fame and practically
all his publications come later. The degree was, of course, unsolicited by him, so I would say that the university
conferred its honorary degrees very freely.
017
Samuel Stennett, like his father, grandfather and great-grandfather, observed the seventh day of the week as the Sabbath.
018
He found himself in a position to aid the Seventh Day Baptists more than his father had.
Rev. Edmund Townsend died in 1763. Townsend was the pastor of the remnant of the Seventh Day Particular Baptist Church
which Joseph Stennett had once served. According to the record
book, after this
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the Rev. & Dr. Samuel Stennett . . . freely and cheerfully offered his services till such time as the church
could obtain . . . [a pastor] of its own. Accordingly he preached constantly in the morning, administering the ordinances
[communion and baptism] &c; four other ministers (of the first day) . . . officiated in the afternoons.
Virtually uninterrupted, Samuel served the church on a part time basis until 1785; he declined, however, to serve it as
full time pastor. This quotation makes it quite clear that Samuel, however, Recognized that some man might choose to become
its pastor on a full time basis. Samuel's serving this church was certainly a magnanimous effort his part, since he already
had a full-time pastorate.
019
In 1764, he preached one of his greatest sermons. Samuel preached on June 13 to an assembly of "the Ministers and Messengers
of several Associated churches in Gloucester. is west of London, almost to Bristol and Bath. His sermon title was, The
Various Use of Authority and Experience in Matters of Religion. He spoke from John 4 which tells of Jesus talking w
ith the Samaritan woman at the well. When she left, She told her friends about Jesus and the came to see and hear him.
Afterward they told her, "Now we believe, not because of thy saying; for we have heard him ourselves,
and know that this is indeed the Christ, the Savior of the world." (Verses 41 f.) Her friends had expressed "an
unwillingness to rest their faith merely on her authority, so she had invited them to come to the well" to see Jesus.
020
Stennett says that men often accept the Christian faith on the basis that it was the family habit to profess to believe
in Christianity, or the minister or some friend recommended that they believe in Christianity. This would be accepting of Christian faith by
tradition of the authority of men. Samuel says that men should let the Holy Spirit operate in their minds and truly come to experience God.
021
Experiencing God has produced
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very opposite effects to those . . . of an historical and traditional faith, Instead of making them thoughtless
and indolent, it made them inquisitive and diligent. Instead of puffing them up with pride and conceit, it rendered them
humble and teachable. And instead of infusing into them a severe, uncharitable and persevere humility and love.
022
A man who professes faith because of the "authority" of someone else in reality has a "faith" that is not likely to be
maintained "any longer than custom, prejudice, and interest are favorable to his profession."
023
A faith built
on Authority is "most absurd, unsafe, and groundless; a faith based "upon reflection" is "most rational, scriptural,
and satisfactory."
024
"That firm assent of the mind to the truth of religion which is the result of an experimental acquaintance with.
it, is highly pleasing to God; as it owes its origin to the influence and grace of his Spirit."
025
Samuel realizes, that men in their own search for religious knowledge may "substitute the reversible of their own distempered
imaginations in the room of real religion."
026
But he says that
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a little reflection will enable a good man to perceive a substantial difference, between the whims and transports of
an enthusiastic mind, and the sober exercises of genuine and spiritual religion. Nor is any one in danger of being led aside
by such a deception who makes a due use of that reason which God has given him.
027
True religion should come from reverence for God, not dread of men; copying the Christianity of another man is to flatter
the pride of men (rather than to respect the Holy Spirit):
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a religion which owes its origin to Authority, must needs be ineffectual to any and valuable purposes. It can never
be acceptable to God: for it arises not out of reverence for him. but out of a servile dread or at best an undue affection
for a fellow creature; and of consequence the main end it proposes, is to flatter the pride of men, thereby
to gain their favor and esteem . . ..
028
He says that human authority, and I think he would say the Scriptural authority, is good in that it should
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withhold persons from absolute denial and insolent abuse of the religion they are taught 'till their judgements and
consciences are arrived at . . . maturity . . . .
029
As adults, people must rely completely on their personal choices in arriving at Christian faith. Even great religious
thinkers should be respected but not copied.
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Can I persuade myself to think that because this or that man is entitled to my esteem on account of his wisdom and
probity (integrity), therefore I am obliged to yield to his decisions, in points of such moment as affect my everlasting
interests? If this be a just way of reasoning, then two principles which are directly opposite to each other must both of them be true.
030
The authority of the Scripture is also useful in that it is so impressive that it should "awaken our serious concern about"
religion and "put us upon a diligent examination of it."
031
When man comes into contact with the Holy Spirit in "experience," he is bringing the various elements of Christianity to
"trial, in order to ascertain the true nature and true value of" them.
032
Samuel recognizes that a doctrine such as
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the resurrection of the body, tho' a doctrine clearly revealed in the word of the God, yet has not such an immediate
connection with the inward sense and feeling of the heart . . . as to be capable of being proved thereby.
033
"Experience," however does serve as a demonstration to his own mind of the truth of such a doctrine as "the whole world is
become guilty before God.
034
The search for truth is never static; because of that, men must be humble
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Instead of shutting up every avenue to further knowledge and conviction, it [experience] will burst the bonds of ignorance and prejudice, and inspire the mind with a noble freedom arid vigor in the pursuit of divine truth; so that, in the language of Scripture, it 'will follow on to know the Lord.' (Hos. 6: 3) And as pride and confidence are ever inseparably connected with servile and slothful subjection to human Authority; so humility and self diffidence will ever be the ornament of a truly Christian faith.
035
A personal grasp of religion, says Samuel, leads to a recognition that men reason differently and that personal religious experience is valid. Incipient in this idea are (1) the freedom to hold conclusions that differ from those of other people (not just to differ in method) and (2) true religious tolerance. He does not state explicitly at this time the incipient conclusions.
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Religion is a personal thing, an affair wherein none are concerned but God and ourselves. What therefore hath
passed on the heart of one man can be no argument to convince another. To suppose it should, would be not only to reason very absurdly, but in effect to vacate the necessity of personal Experience, and to establish human Authority in the room of it, the great evil of which has, I hope, been satisfactorily shown.
036
And tho' you are sensible that no happy Experience of which you may possessed, can have sufficient force to convince others; let it never-the-less be your constant concern, by the purity of your lives, to oblige them 'to take knowledge of you that you have been with Jesus.' (Acts 4: 13).
037
Samuel is making use of the demand his family had made for three generations that Christians should personally encounter God; Christianity should be experiential. Samuel is going a step beyond his great-grandfather. Edward Stennett had used the experience of drawing close to God as a time to view Scripture objectively; it was a time to work with the doctrines that had been set down in the Bible, a time to discover Biblical Dogma. Samuel, in his encounter with God, is not so much concerned with Scripture texts as he is with basic experiencing of God. Thus he tends to move back from the Bible which is a record of revelation to the encounter with God which preceded the written record. A corollary of this is that his father Joseph II emphasizes doctrinal correctness, practically a rational communication of proper doctrine, while Samuel is much more interested in personal religious experience
The Scriptural method of arriving at beliefs is Experience, which is
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a personal and practical acquaintance with religion, which is clearly distinguishable from enthusiasm and passion, furnished a man himself with a sufficient and satisfactory evidence of the truth of it. So that a faith tried by this measure, and supported with this kind of proof, is most rational and scriptural, is effectual to the best and noblest purposes, and will certainly endure.
038
Effective Christianity comes only from religious experience.
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Rest not . in any thing short of a real Experience of Religion. This, and this only, will give life and vigor to
your profession; inspire your hearts with a noble resolution, amidst the attacks of infidelity and temptation; render the path
of duty, in some degree at least, easy and pleasant; and yield you substantial comfort in that tremendous hour, when all the
feeble supports Authority can afford, will sink under the ruins of dissolving nature.
039
Two years later, on March 31, 1766, Samuel preached a sermon entitled "The Indispensable Importance of real Religion."
This sermon may have some similarity to the previous sermon. This Sermon was not reprinted in his Works in 1824 and to
the best of my present knowledge, no copy is available in this country.
040
An event the next year tells either how small the Baptist denomination was or else how active the Stennetts were in Baptist
activity. As I have said before, Joseph Stennett II, Daniel Turner, and Samuel Wilson were at Reading in 1749 to help ordain
Thomas Whitewood to the Ministry. (Whitewood succeeded Turner who had already begun his long pastorate at Abingdon.) In 1766,
Whitewood came into London and became pastor of the Seventh Day Particular Baptist Church. This was the remnant of the old
Bampfield-Stennett church. (Samuel Stennett had been preaching to them on Sabbath mornings.) Whitewood's pastorate was very
short, for he died "a few weeks after he had been chosen pastor." Then Samuel Stennett began preaching on Sabbath mornings
again and several "first day" ministers preached in the afternoon.
041
When Samuel's brother Joseph III died at Coate on Oxfordshire, it was Daniel Turner who preached his funeral sermon on
June 4,1769. The next month Samuel Stennett and Turner have contact again when Turner wrote a letter to Stennett. Turner's
letter is about a subject which I suppose was a common concern to them both; he says:
-
useful learning is rather discouraged amongst us. A confident assurance goes further with many, even well meaning
people, than good sense, learning and piety. A zeal without knowledge that flashes upon your Imagination carries them away,
from all attention to the simplicity of the gospel. This may do for a while, but there is no Foundation for long standing.
That is practically the same as Stennett's 1764 sermon on the Various use of Authority and Experience in Religion!
042
In 1767, we also learn of the "Kings Bounty" (Regium Donum). The King, George III, provided an annual grant of about a
thousand pounds which was given out to poor Dissenter (Presbyterian, Independent and Baptist) ministers in doles of no more
than five pounds each. At a meeting of the General Baptists in 1767, there was an inquiry as to how to get assistance from
that fund. The case was referred to "Dr. Stennett one of seven ministers (and nine laymen) who administered the fund."
043
Thus Samuel was already, at forty years of age, a leading Baptist minister in London.
Besides helping to administer the Regium Donum, Samuel was also active in the Baptist denomination. The Seventh Day
Particular Baptist Church at which Samuel was preaching met in Curriers' Hall. Besides this, there was a
Particular Baptist church meeting there on Sunday. On October 2, 1766, Samuel was at the service of
the latter church in which John Reynolds was ordained; Stennett offered a prayer at the ordination service.
044
A year later, on August 18, 1767, Samuel attended the Ordination of Caleb Evans to the ministry at Broadmead, Bristol.
Evans had been a member of the Little Wild Street Church, as I have said before, in the time of Joseph Stennett II.
Samuel charges the candidate
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To preach the word, that is the doctrines and duties of natural and revealed religion . . . to explain defend
and improve, taking your arguments and motives chiefly from the sacred scriptures let your reasoning be clear and your
language be plain and familiar, and your addresses serious and pathetic [moving] . . . Treat doctrines practically,
and duties evening. Adapt your discourses to every possible case; at the same time keeping the particular mistakes
of individuals out of your view.
045
He also speaks in regard to the relationship of a minister to the church in an administrative capacity. The minister is to
"preside in the House of God," but he does not
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have an authority to enact new law, or to govern arbitrarily and independently of the people. - No, their office is to
explain the laws of Christ, to preside in the discipline of the and in a due and orderly manner to execute those commands
which are clearly laid down in the word of God relative to it.
046
That is an eighteenth century concept of the power of a minister in a Baptist church.
On April 24 of the next year, 1768, Samuel preached the funeral sermon at Goodmans' Fields for Rev. Samuel Burford.
Burford had followed Samuel Wilson as pastor of this church.
047
At Burford's funeral, Stennett speaks of friendships as being the best part of life in this world.
048
As he drew his text from the story of the resurrection of Lazarus, Stennett has to take into account the lack of physical
resurrections today.
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But such miraculous appearances we are not now to expect. Our departed friends are not thus to be restored to us again,
It were presumptuous to wish it. Nor have we any occasion for such attestations as these to the truth. Yet the same Jesus
still lives; still exercised a tender compassion for the mourning relatives of his dead disciples; and still assures them
that 'they who sleep in Jesus, God will' another day 'bring with him.' (I Thessalonians 4: 14).
049
The Baptist church in Goodmans' Fields in London had Stennett come back the next year (February 16, 1769) to participate
in the ordination service for its new minister. The new man, Abraham Booth, and Stennett became the leading Baptist ministers
later in the century. At this ordination Stennett preached the sermon directed to the congregation. The congregation
should encourage the minister: "Be assisting to his improvements in knowledge. Stir up the gift that is in him."
As he is "'to teach the good knowledge of the Lord,"'
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Be diligent therefore, faithful and regular in your attendance on public worship. Let not every little trifling
excuse., either of weather or bodily indisposition, keep you from the house of God . . . . Join, not in the form only,
but in the spirit of public prayer . . . . Receive the truth in the love of it. When any thing drops from the speaker
in the form of reproof, which is particularly applicable to your circumstances, don't admit the insidious suspicion
that any personal reflection was intended, when you are not so entertained and profited as you could wish, lay not
all the blame on the preacher, but in charity to him, take a part of it upon yourselves. Don't hear him as critics
but as christians; not as those who come to be amused, but to be saved.
050
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