1814 BENJAMIN BEDDOME. A Scriptural Exposition of the Baptist Catechism.

Benjamin Beddome [1717-1795] was an influential English Particular Baptist minister and hymn writer. All works by him are scarce.

This appears to be the sole American imprint, issued at a particularly interesting time for American Baptists. With the conversion of Adoniram Judson and the Burmah missionaries, the 1810’s was a significant period of growth. This perhaps issued to quickly “arm” new Baptists to stay attempts at bringing them back into the Methodist, Congregational, and Presbyterian folds.

Beddome Henley-in-Arden, England, and was the son of Baptist minister John Beddome. The family later moved to Bristol, where Beddome was originally apprenticed to a surgeon. At the end of his apprenticeship, he decided instead to pursue theological education with the intention of becoming a Christian minister. He studied initially under Bernard Foskett at the Baptist College in Bristol, where he became friends with Particular Baptist, John Ash. He was at long last baptized at the Baptist church in Prescott Street, Goodman's Fields, in 1739.

In 1740 he became the pastor of the Baptist church in Bourton-on-the-Water, Gloucestershire, and was ordained in 1743. He continued in this ministry for fifty-five years. He became well known as a preacher. John Rippon commented that, "though his voice was low, his delivery was forcible and demanded attention." He was a leading figure in the Midland Baptist Association.

In 1770, Beddome received an M.A. degree from Providence College, Rhode Island. He died in Bourton aged 78, and was buried in the graveyard of the Baptist church.[1]

A prolific hymn writer, he composed more than 800 hymns during his lifetime. They were written to be sung after his weekly Sunday sermon each week: relating to its content, they were not originally intended for publication. Beddome allowed 13 of his hymms to be included in the Bristol Baptist Collection of Ash & Evans, and 36 in Rippon's Selection. In 1818, a posthumous collection of 830 of his hymns was published as Hymns Adapted to Public Worship or Family Devotion. A number of Beddome's hymns were also included in the Sacred Harp.

Robert Hall wrote:

The man of taste will be gratified with the beauty and original turns of thought which many of them exhibit, while the experimental Christian will often perceive the most secret movements of his soul strikingly delineated, and sentiments portrayed which will find their echo in every heart.

In 1752, Beddome wrote A Scriptural Exposition of the Baptist Catechism, by Way of Question and Answer, which was reprinted in 1776, and reprinted in New Jersey [1814] . Three volumes of his sermons were printed posthumously. All scarce.

Early calf, rubbed, bumped, text handled and stained, but solid and complete with early pencil inscriptions to prelims.

Beddome, Benjamin. A Scriptural Exposition of the Baptist Catechism, by way of Questions and Answer. Burlington. Published by Stephen C. Ustick. 1814. 190pp.

A fair copy only, bound in leather, lightly shaken, toned throughout, with handled pages, and lacking the final leaf of text.