Benjamin Keach and Winslow
DestinationOld Baptist Meeting House You are going to visit a gem of a Baptist chapel, Travel Benjamin Keach
Under persecution Parliament passed two acts directed against people who wanted to separate church and state. These made meetings in the Meeting House illegal. Buckinghamshire County Council raised a special army to hunt out Roman Catholics, Baptists, Quakers, Independents and Presbyterians and bring them to court. Benjamin Keach was harassed by the soldiers on more than one occasion and spent several short spells in prison. Once some soldiers threatened to kill him by riding their horses over him, but an officer stopped them just in time. The Child's Instructor In 1664, Benjamin published a book for children, called The Child’s Instructor, or a new and easy primmer. (Correct spelling hadn’t been invented). As soon as the book hit the bookshops, Keach was arrested and charged with publishing a book that contradicted the teaching of the Church of England. He was fined £20 and sentenced to go to gaol for several months, to stand upon the pillory at Aylesbury for two hours and a few days later to do the same in the market of Winslow where his books were burnt in front of him by the common hangman. (A pillory held you in place while people could throw things at you). Southwark and family life In 1668, Benjamin moved to London. On the journey, highwaymen robbed the the family of all they had. The Baptist church in Southwark ordained him as their Pastor and Benjamin carried out a remarkable ministry for the rest of his life in London. Two years after they moved to London, John’s first wife, Jane, died. He married again 2 years later, to a lady called Susannah. He had 5 children with Jane, two of whom didn’t survive childhood, and then two more girls and a boy. He then went on to have 5 daughters by Susannah – and one of them didn’t survive. How many altogether? Singing the Praises of Singing Hymns
|