Benjamin Keach

Benjamin Keach (29 February 1640 – 18 July 1704) was an English Baptist minister and author whose name was given to Keach's Catechism.

Biography

Keach was born on 29 February 1640 to John and Fedora Keeche at Stoke Hammond, Buckinghamshire. His parents were poor. Keach worked as a tailor during his early years. He was baptized at the age of 15 by John Russell, the minister of an Arminian Baptist church at Chesham, Buckinghamshire. In 1659, at the age of 18, Keach began preaching, and was the minister of the congregation at Winslow.

In 1668, Keach moved to London, taking the position of minister of the church at Horsleydown, Southwark. Keach developed Calvinist soteriological views following his move to London, and he became a Reformed (or "Particular") Baptist.

Keach is also known to have promoted the introduction of hymn singing in the Baptist churches. His church, Horsleydown, was probably the first church in England to sing hymns, as opposed to psalms and paraphrases. Keach's hymnbook, published in 1691, provoked heated debate in the 1692 Assembly of Particular Baptists, as it conflicted with the position of exclusive psalmody.

Keach's eschatological beliefs were also controversial in his lifetime. His remarks regarding the second coming of Christ may have led to suspicions that he was a Fifth Monarchy man.

Personal life Keach was twice married. In May 1660, he married Jane Grove of Winslow in the town of Southwark. Keach and his first wife had four daughters and one son. In October 1670, Grove died, aged thirty. In 1672, Keach married again, to Susanna Partridge of Rickmansworth. Partridge and Keach had five daughters, and remained wedded for thirty-two years. Keach died on July 18, 1704, and was buried in a Baptist burial ground in Southwark. Partridge survived him, and lived until 1727.

Works The Glory of a True Church, and Its Discipline Display’d, London: John Robinson (1697) The Progress of Sin, Or the Travels of Ungodliness, London: J. Clarke (5th edition, 1736) The Travels of True Godliness, Boston: Lincoln & Edmands (Revised and Improved, 1831) Gold Refin’d, or, Baptism in Its Primitive Purity, London: Printed for the author. (1689) An Exposition of the Parables and Express Similitudes of Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, London: Aylott and Co. (1858) Spiritual Songs: Being the Marrow of the Scripture, in Songs of Praise to Almighty God; From the Old and New Testament, London: John Marshal (Second Edition, 1700) The Baptist Catechism, Commonly Called Keach's Catechism: Or, a Brief Instruction in the Principles of the Christian Religion, Philadelphia: American Baptist Publication Society. (1851) Tropologia: A Key to Open Scripture Metaphors, London: William Hill Collingridge (1856) The Marrow of True Justification, or, Justification without Works London: Dorman Newman (1692) War with the Devil; or the Young Man's Conflict with the Powers of Darkness; Displayed in a Poetical Dialogue between Youth and Conscience Coventry: T. Luckman. (n.d.) The Scriptures Superior to All Spiritual Manifestations. In H. C. Fish (Ed.), History and Repository of Pulpit Eloquence, Deceased Divines, Containing the Masterpieces (Vol. I), New York: Dodd, Mead & Company. (1856) A Golden Mine Opened: Or, the Glory of God's Rich Grace Displayed in the Mediator to Believers: And His Direful Wrath against Impenitent Sinners: Containing the Substance of near Forty Sermons upon Several Subjects, London: Printed for the author (1694)