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Copyright © 1950, 2012 Oscar Burdick & 1999-2022 Allen Harrington
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In attempting an understanding of the theology of Joseph Stennett, we must first survey the background of the full-fledged movement which is called Deism. 262 Deism is characterized by the use of one's own reason in thinking about religious matters. The Roman Catholic Church demanded of its laity that they accept the Church's demands. However, Protestantism with its "priesthood of all believers" encouraged everyone to read the Bible and think for himself. (Stennett implies Protestant freedom to think for oneself in the following section of his reply to Russen)
Can't a Woman be faithful to the Light of her own Conscience, but 'tis a Renunciation of Christianity, because her Ancestors were of another mind? . . . If the Faith of our Ancestors is a just Rule to us, they were mightily to blame that ever began a Reformation in the World, either among Papists or Pagans.) 263
As men think about religion, they are faced with the problem of defining the relation between revelation and reason. John Milton wrote a treatise which has been called A Posthumous Treatise on Christian Doctrine, Completed from the Scriptures alone. In it he says, "Let us discard reason in sacred matters, and that "had Milton kept his own rule, he would not have written a treatise of Christian doctrine. He could not have compared Scripture with Scripture if he had discarded
reason! 264 Stennett would say,
Good men are considerate, they make use of their reason, and exercise themselves in thought and reflection; for 'tis impossible to be religious without consideration, and making reflection on our own actions and circumstances, and those of others. 265
Edward Lord Herbert of Cherbury (1583-1648) said men have an innate knowledge of five basic truths of religion:
I That that there is one Supreme God. II That he ought to be worshiped. III That Virtue and Piety are the chief parts of Divine Worship. IV That we ought to be sorry for our sins and repent them. V That Divine goodness doth dispense rewards and punishments both in this life and after it.
These Lord Herbert called the basic truths of natural religion. 266 Stating that these truths are innate in mankind is the first step away from revelation as a means of receiving Christian knowledge.
Another stage of Deism comes from John Locke (1632-1704), a man in the same generation as Edward Stennett. He was a Christian philosopher and his basic approach to theology was empirical. Locke said that knowledge of God was not innate, but that by reasoning wise men can easily acquire the idea of God. Almost immediately the tide of Deism followed Locke, not Herbert. 267
Yet Locke is not a full-fledged Deist, for he retains Christian revelation.
God, in giving us the light of reason has not thereby tied up his own hands from affording us the light of revelation.
God can use revelation, said Locke, to give to men truths which only partially attainable or wholly unobtainable by natural reason. 268
Joseph Stennett, in works now extant, never quotes from Lord Herbert or John Locke, but unquestionably he knows of them. His Reply to Russen on Baptism quotes an assortment of English writers; 269 Charles Leslie with whom he had a controversy on other topics, wrote a book against Deists; 270 and at various times, Stennett speaks in terms of "Scripture and Reason" and "Natural Religion". 271 By the same token, Stennett is a Particular Baptist, a Calvinistic Baptist, but he never quotes from Calvin, at least, not in extant materials.
Stennett uses reason almost constantly in his religious thinking. Man should serve God with his affections, will and understanding, 272 "Let your zeal be constantly directed by knowledge, and your knowledge always ballasted by humility." He pleads with his congregation to know why the took up Christianity. 273 They should study Christianity to see if it is what it claims to be; Stennett seems use personal experience as the basis for judging Christianity:
The speculative points of religion, the divine truths which belong to the gospel, they ate above that can be found out by mens minds; we must be beholden to divine revelation for the discovery. 287
may discover that men are sinners, but 'tis impossible they would know which way sinners will be saved, but by revelation. 288
As to the certainty of a heavenly rest.
Even natural religion gives some light into this matter, and shews, that "verily there is a reward for the righteous; verily there is a God who judgeth in the earth" (Psalm 58: 11). But Divine revelation gives a better hope. a firmer a more explicit and particular discovery of it. 289 Especially on the last point Stennett has a great deal in common with Locke.
Even though Stennett once excommunicated a woman, and at another time his whole church considered action against a man who for a time disbelieved the divinity of Jesus, 290 he also preached that men should have a humble spirit in the search for truth:
Let me exhort you all, who have received great advantages by the knowledge of the truth, to pursue the same advantages yet farther, and never think you know enough: never be too proud to learn never to be uneasy if any body attempt to inform you that you are in an error; but hear all things diligently, 'prove all things, hold fast that which if good:' (I Thessalonians 5: 21) let it be your earnest desire to understand the good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God.! (Romans 12: 2). 291
Locke goes a step further and argues for religious tolerance. 292
Thus we have noted considerable similarly between the Christian philosopher, John Locke and the educated Seventh Day Particular Baptist minister, Joseph Stennett. Locke, however, does not represent full-fledged Deism. Locke, for instance, accepts Biblical miracles in connection with the lives of Moses and Jesus; 293 Stennett accepts miracles in general; 294 but Anthony Ashley Cooper, Earl of Shaftesbury (1671-1713) does not accept miracles. 295 Locke and Stennett believed, in revelation, but John Toland (1670-1722) argued that Christianity should not have any mysterious elements. 296
In its ultimate form, Deism said God has created the world, but is no longer personal active in it. Deism finally denied special revelation, miracles supernatural prophesy, providence and the incarnation and diety of Christ. 297 Joseph Stennett did not accept this extreme form of Deism that was appearing even in his own time; in fact, he scarcely seems aware of it. Stennett believed In the use of reason in Christianity, but he retained revelation which often goes beyond reason.
In his actual theology, Joseph Stennett is very Biblical and seldom quotes other writers on theology. As a Protestant, the Bible is his basic religious authority 298 although he certainly was well acquainted with the ancient Greeks and Romans and with their philosophy. 299 He also knew the early church fathers, 300 and as I have said before, he uses Biblical Quotations, yet in expressing his idea of God, he does use the Greek category, omniscient. God has omniscient, power, justice, infinite perfection, and He is a loving father, governour and judge of the world. 301 Although man was created to glorify God, man can not really add anything to God's infinite happiness which He already has. 302
As to Jesus, I was surprised to find that Stennett put Him so accurately into His historical setting:
The Jews . . thought of a Messiah who should come as a temporal prince, to deliver them from their enemies .... Instead of destroying men, by miracle, ... he heals them .... Is there not as much power required to heal a person in a moment, whose nerves are contracted, and who has been impotent all his life-time and never been able to go; is not this, I say, as great an effect of power, as for a numerous army to be destroyed after a miraculous manner? 303
Other statements which Stennett makes about Jesus are those one would usually expect. That Jesus is the Christ is proven by Old Testament prophesy and New Testament Miracles. 304 He is the "Lamb of God" who gave his life for sinners, who bore the wrath of God as a sacrifice, who was raised from the dead, ascended to heaven and now is the mediator for men before God. 305
As a Corollary of Stennett's emphasis on the Divinity of Jesus as compared with the human side of Jesus, Stennett's preaching is oriented somewhat other-worldly. Yet he is concerned about the evil in this world and that Christianity should not be just knowledge but must also be expressed in life. 306 life in this word is a preparation for the afterlife: "this life is not valuable, but as it may be improv'd in order to a better" life. 307 That attitude is almost identical to that of Calvin, who said that Christians must "habituate" themselves "to a contempt of the present life, that we may. thereby he excited to meditation on that which is to come." 308 Stennett says that men find their true happiness they set out to achieve. 309
Stennett in his ministry is concerned about the doctrine of man. Man, when he was created by God, was "innocent and holy," and sin was once "the most unnatural thing in the world." 310 Yet
Original corruption is so interwoven in the very constitution of our bodies since the fall, that our souls ... are polluted by sin. . . Sin, that defil'd the souls of our parents, did not only spread its malignant influence on their bodies, but extends its contagion to those posterity thro' out all generations. 311
Although this statement of original sin is unmistakably clear, Joseph seldom mentions original sin, original guilt, or original corruption. He believes the doctrine but does not harp on it.
As I have said before, Stennett believes that men are rational creatures. Because of that, even heaven will have to of such a nature that men can think; otherwise they would be happy! 312 Reason and holiness are the natural and religious similarities, respectively, between God and man. 313 Men must not prostitute their reason and consciences, said Stennett, in following a crowd of people "to do evil" (Exodus 32: 2). 314 Basically man is "a free agent, and capable of morality" 315 yet he needs God's help when he attempts Christian living and desires salvation. 316
As is common in that time, Stennett believed that God works in the affairs of the world through the agency of providence. 317 The hypothesis of providence more or less works in regard to nations in Stennett's time., much as it more or less worked for the Biblical kingdoms of Israel and Judah. For individuals, however, there are obvious exceptions. Stennett says that an "accursed sinner" may be allowed to live a hundred years (Isaiah 65: 20) while an early convert dies young. 318 Such exceptions have forced him to say that it is in the future life that God will justify his providence. 319 Stennett held the doctrine of providence, but he did not hold it so rabidly but what he could recognize exceptions. He formalizes his belief by saying that nations are judged now and the individuals are judged in the future. 320
As Joseph Stennett is a Particular Baptist, and the Particular Baptist denomination was Calvinistic, one would expect to find his writings a mechanistic election. His Presbyterian brother-in-law, Dr. Daniel Williams, does believe in a mechanistic election:
It is certain from God's decree of election, that the elect shalt in time be justified, adopted, and saved in the way God hath appointed; . . . . The elect are at no time of their lives under the wrath of God, nor are they subject to condemnation if they should die before they believed . . . . 321
In his writings, Stennett simply lacks that kind of election although he uses the word "election" now and then. Stennett believed that God's grace was prevalent--God comes to man before man can approach God, 322 but salvation is by man's acceptance of Christianity 323 and consistent faith. 324 Stennett's conception of salvation includes contemporary freedom on the part of God who attempts to save even sinners who reject him. 325
Study of the Bible is an important part of a minister's work. Joseph Stennett tried to study the Scriptures objectively for himself before he read the opinions of Christendom at large. His biographer tells of this method of study which he advised for young ministers:
When they proposed to discourse upon any text of scripture, they should, after seeking the divine assistance, first consult their own unbiased thoughts, by a close study of the text itself, compared with what goes before or follows after, and with other parts of Scripture relating to it, before they looked into any commentator. By this means, he observed, confusion of thought would be avoided, and their minds prepared to judge of the propriety of those applications of illustrations, which they would afterwards meet with in the works of learned men: but without such a conduct they would seldom be able to say or write any thing, which they could justly call their own. 326
As to the study of specific books of the Bible, when he was studying I John, he noticed no author's was given in the text itself. Primarily on stylistic considerations, he says that I John was written by the apostle John who wrote the Gospel. Scholarship even today usually agrees that the Gospel of John and I John are by the same author. 327 For the Song of Solomon, he gives a historical study of whether or not church leaders have thought the book was heavenly inspired. 328 In the Old Testament he uses the catholic of messianic prophesy and "types" in the study of some passages, yet he cautions against the overuse of allegory in regard to a New Testament Passage. 329
As to the meanings of various words, in the Bible, he recognizes that the "Kingdom of God" can mean two things, a "state of grace," or a "state of glory"! I suppose the distinction in present day terms would be whether the kingdom is a present or future state. 330 in defining "world," he recognizes that it has many different meanings in the Bible. 331 Greek words which have primary and secondary meanings should be translated according to the primary meaning unless there is a good reason to do otherwise. 332 I think he violated that principle, however when as I mentioned before, he changed an imprecation to a prediction of destruction. 333
If he thinks he should break with common usage or acceptance, he does so. Thus he says that Jeremiah's cursing of the man who told of his birth ought. to be understood as Jeremiah's great fault, and to be reckon'd among those sins of good men, which are recorded in scripture as warnings to us, that we might avoid being guilty of the same. 334
As to the book of Job, he breaks with King James translation without saying so, and announces that most of the book is poetry 335 He even uses the same name for God, "Jah" and "Jehovah" which usage I was surprised to find this early. 336 There is at least one instance when he makes a factual error. He says the Jews at the time of Christ believed in the Pythagorean idea of the transmission of souls. 337 We must also recognize that Stennett lived in a time when archaeology was probably unheard of, the older Bible manuscripts we have now were not then available and sound "historical criticism" was not yet developed extensively for Biblical studies.
Joseph Stennett as I have written again and again was a Seventh Day Baptist. He believed the fourth of the ten commandments in "its precise and literal meaning." 338 In his extant writings, he is so concerned with the problems of moral living and reason and revelation that he mentions the sabbath only once in three volumes of published sermons, 339 once in his reply to Russen 340 and in only three of the many poems which filled nearly a whole volume. 341 The seventh day Sabbath as a unique theological belief led to special emphasis an the Sabbath as a day of worship. One Sabbath poem has been widely used as a hymn; the poem is not polemic for the seventh day Sabbath. In the poem, the Sabbath is not a legalistic, ritual set (which it was to him theologically), but it is a day of high devotional value:
Another six-days-work is done;
Another sabbath is begun:
Return, my soul, unto thy rest;
Revere the day thy God has blest.
I offer the, my God, to thee:
If thou accept both mine and me,
And what I am or have beside,
What I can give or thou provide,
I offer the, my God, to thee:
if thou accept both mine and me,
I'll praise thy grace, thy name adore,
And wish to offer I had more.
In holy duties let the day,
In holy pleasures, pass away;
How sweet, a Sabbath thus to spend
In hope of one that ne'er shall end! 342
In the following closely-knit poem, Stennett likewise has put into words his personal impression of religion.
Product of reason and of faith combin'd,
The life, the health, the beauty of the mind;
God's image on an human soul imprest,
The source of joy, and glory of the blessed;
That makes 'em lovely, and that make 'em love,
Brings heaven to earth, and forms their heavens above:
O how I do thy god-like charms admire O how I do thy god-like joys aspire! 343
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262 Before the seventeenth century "deism" and "theism" bad been synonymous terms, but "deism" takes on a special meaning in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries (Orr, op. cit. , p. 13).
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263 Joseph Stennett, An Answer to ... Russen , p. 13; cf. pp. 13, 189.
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264 Hunt, op. cit. , I, 191.
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265 Joseph Stennett, Works , III, 388.
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266 This quotation from a book by Lord Herbert is found in Orr, op. cit. , p. 62; cf. pp. 63-67; Hunt, op. cit. , l, 444f.
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267 Orr, op. cit. , pp. 83f., 86ff.
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268 Ibid. , p. 92,
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269 An Answer to ... Russen , pp., 151-170.
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270 Creed and Boys Smith op. cit. , p. 51
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271 Joseph Stennett, Works , I, iv, 15, 132, 423; II 189, 190f., 450; cf. II, 44, 163; III, 1, 79.
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272 Ibid. , I, 127f.: cf. I, 35.
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273 Ibid. , III, 36.
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274 Ibid. , III, 37f.; cf. 53: God hath given us reason and revelation to guide and conduct us." As for knowledge serving the public good, see II, 11.
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275 Ibid. , I, 102, 110.
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276 Ibid. , III, 108.
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277 Ibid. , III, 189.
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278 Ibid. , III, 411.
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279 Ibid. , III, 60.
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280 Ibid. , II, 349.
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281 Walker, op. cit. , p. 486.
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282 Joseph Stennett, Works , IV, 267.
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283 F. C. Eiselen, et al, The Abingdon Bible Commentary (New York: Abingdon-Cokesbury, 1929), p. 220.
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284 For Stennett, revelation seems to be identical with the Bible; cf. Joseph Stennett, Works , I, 227f.
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285 Cf. Orr. op. cit. , p. 113.
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286 Ibid. , pp. 94f.
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287 Joseph Stennett, Works , II, 189.
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288 Ibid. , II, 190.
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289 Ibid. , I, 423.
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290 Pinners' Hall Record Book , pp. 62f.
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291 Joseph Stennett, Works , II, 420; cf. II, 45; III, 81f.,; IV, 307.
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292 Orr, op. cit. , pp. 404-408.
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293 Ibid. , p. 96.
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294 Joseph Stennett, Works , I, 110, 285; II, 171.
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295 Orr, op. cit. , p. 127.
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296 Ibid. , p. 121.
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297 Ibid. , pp. 13f.
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298 An Answer to ... Russen , p. 93.
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299 Works , I, 19, 21, 353, 370; II, 116ff., 120, 181f.; Iv, 171, 183.
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300 Ibid. , I, 354; 11, 118 and An Answer to ... Russen , passim .
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301 Works. , I, 31, 35; III, 202, 256; IV, 116.
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302 Ibid. , II, 189f.; III, 96.
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303 Ibid. , II, 148f.
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304 Ibid. , II, 147.
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305 Ibid. , III, 301, 328, 331, 357, 357-362; II 193.
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306 Ibid. , II, 360, 377; I, 74.
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307 Ibid. , I, 93.
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308 Institutes , III, IX, I; Calvin modifies it later (111, IX, III) when he says we must not despise the world to much for the World has been given to us by God.
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309 Works , II, 444; III, 396.
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310 Ibid. , II, 190, 229. This is from a 1707 sermon.
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311 Ibid. , I, 172f.; cf. I, 59, 66; III, 355f.;
An Answer to ... Russen , pp. 216f. The quotation is from a 1695 sermon.
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312 Joseph Stennett, Works , I, 405; this is from Stennett's 1713 funeral sermon for Rev. John Piggott. On man as a thinking creature, cf. I, 15 which is from a sermon preached in 1694 or perhaps in 1693.
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313 Ibid. , II, 403.
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314 Ibid. , III, 64.
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315 Ibid. , I, 409.
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316 Ibid. , II, 351.
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317 Ibid. , I, 25, 274, 292, 295; III, 257, 288.
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318 Ibid. , I, 63; cf. 386; III, 404.
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319 Ibid. , I, 429; cf. III, 297f., 394.
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320 Ibid. , 279.
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321 Daniel Williams, Gospel-Truth Stated and Vindicated (London: ca. 1692), p. 12; cf. pp. 22, 29.
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322 Joseph Stennett, Works , III, 102; II, 237.
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323 Ibid. , I, 425; II, 162, 185, 237; III, 352.
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324 Ibid. , III, 248.
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325 Ibid. , III, 273.
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326 Ibid. , I, B33.; cf. B9.
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327 Ibid. , III, 83. Morton Scott Enslin, Christian Beginnings (New York: Harper, 1938), 348; R. H. Charles, The Revelation of John (Edinburgh: T. & T. Clark, 1920), p. xxxiv.
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328 Joseph Stennett, Works , IV, 3ff.
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329 Ibid. , I, 273, 276; II, 143; III, 312; IV 278.
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330 Ibid. , III, 130; cf. II, 307.
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331 Ibid ., III, 344-354.
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332 Ibid. , III, 131; An Answer to ... Russen , pp. 115, 120.
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333 Joseph Stennett, Works , I, 215.
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334 Ibid ., III, 377.
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335 Ibid. , III, 374.
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336 Ibid. , IV, 254.
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337 Ibid. , II, 300; 296., It was based on these phrases, "'one of the old profits was risen again'" and "'Master, ... who did sin, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?'"
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338 Ibid. , II, 482.
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339 Ibid. , II, 482f.
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340 An Answer to ... Russen p. 228.
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341 Joseph Stennett, Works , IV, 231-234, 267f., 269.
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342 Ibid. , IV, 231-234. On IV, 269 there is a similar Sabbath poem, beginning, "Blest Day! ordained by God, and therefore blest, .... " This latter poem appears in a greatly altered form in Seventh Day Baptist Christian Psalmody (1847) p. 357.
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343 Works, IV, 270. It is said that he wrote witty poems, besides his religious poems, it is said that he would not allow them to be spread about in common use
( Ibid. , I B15). A poem, "The Hypocrite," was published with his works; It includes these two limerick-like lines:
He's the reverse of all he seems to be,
And still pursues whate'er he seems to flee. (IV, 278.)
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