Religious developments in the latter part of the Seventeenth Century form a neglected phase of English history. This may be due in part to the feeling that the people of this period were not greatly concerned with religion. In 1947 G.M. Trevelyan held that "after 1660, the reaction against Puritanism took the form not of Anglican devotionalism, but of indifference to religion." In 1950 G.R. Cragg maintained that the general works on the religious developments from 1660 to 1700 were old and that very few could claim to be satisfactory. Cragg wrote concerning the changes in thought within the Anglican Movement, whereas this is a study of the developments in the Baptist Movement as reflected in the work and thought of Benjamin Keach. The first section of this introduction gives a statement of the purpose of this study, the method of procedure used in the acquisition and presentation of the material, and the scope of this dissertation. It is the purpose of this study (1) to give an analytical survey of the Baptist Movement from 1612 to 1640 which serves as a background; (2) to show the development of Keach in his relation to the Baptist Movement from 1640 to 1689; (3) to present Keach as a pioneer and leader of the Baptist Movement from 1689 to 1704; and (4) to make a critical estimate of the work and thought of Benjamin Keach in the light of the Baptist Movement. Knowing the purpose, the next aspect is the method of procedure.

Benjamin Keach (1640-1704) was a seventeenth-century preacher and hymn writer. He is considered responsible for the introduction and continued use of hymns, as distinct from psalms and paraphrases, in the English Nonconformist churches in the late seventeenth century, and is remembered as the provider of a well-rounded body of hymns for congregational worship. This thesis reviews the historical climate of seventeenth-century England, and discusses Keach's life in terms of that background. Keach's influence on congregational hymn singing, hymn writers, preaching, and education is also examined. Keach's writings and contributions to hymn singing are little known today. This thesis points out the significance of these writings and hymns to seventeenth-century religious life.

This dissertation examines the manner in which Benjamin Keach used metaphors in his published sermons. The first chapter provides a thorough introduction to the dissertation, including the research objective, methodology, and source materials. Chapter 2 concerns Keach's role as a preacher. In particular, the chapter assesses the formative influences upon Keach's preaching, including the political and religious environment of England in the mid-seventeenth century. Keach's preaching in rural Buckinghamshire as well as his pastoral ministry in London are explored. Chapter 3 contains a survey of Keach's published sermons. These messages are organized into three primary groups: pastoral, doctrinal, and parabolic. Each sermon or collection of sermons is examined for general themes and textual basis. Chapter 4 considers Keach's own understanding of metaphors in general, which is necessary in order to demonstrate the ways in which Keach employed metaphors and perceived the relationship of metaphor to the task of preaching. Keach's Tropologia contains substantial material pertinent to this investigation. Chapter 5 explores the various ways in which Keach interpreted specific metaphors, both metaphors from Scripture and those from his personal experiences. His interpretive method was informed heavily by a commitment to the authority of the Bible. Chapter 6 details the manner in which Keach specifically used metaphors, and his sermons provide many supporting examples. The use of established rhetorical criteria makes possible the task of locating, categorizing, and evaluating the material. Chapter 7 synthesizes the pertinent information from the previous chapters and draws specific conclusions from the research. These conclusions support the thesis of the study and bring the dissertation to an appropriate end. This work contends that Keach utilized metaphors in his sermons as a primary means to enable a greater understanding of the biblical text and to connect readily with the intellect and emotions of his audience. / This item is only available to students and faculty of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. If you are not associated with SBTS, this dissertation may be purchased from <a href="http://disexpress.umi.com/dxweb">http://disexpress.umi.com/dxweb</a> or downloaded through ProQuest's Dissertation and Theses database if your institution subscribes to that service.