THIS faithful minister of Christ was the son of John Keach of Stoke ham in Buckinghamshire. He was born in that town February 29, 1640. His parents were pious and honest persons, but unable to procure him an education suited to his genius and the station he was destined to occupy. He was at first designed for business, and for a little time he was engaged in following a trade; but it was soon perceived he aspired after a higher employment. He applied himself very early to the study of the scriptures, and was desirous of attaining divine knowledge. Observing the silence of the sacred oracles on the subject of infant baptism, he suspected the validity of the baptism he had received, and after seriously considering the subject, he was baptized in the fifteenth year of his age, and afterwards joined a Baptist church in that county.

The church discovering his piety and talents, about three years afterwards, in 1658, called him to the solemn work of the ministry. He

Editors.

was now in his 18th year, and for about two years he pursued his work with great comfort and success, and much to the edification of those who heard him. At this time be held the sentiments of the Remonstrants, or Arminians, of the extent of the death of Christ; and the freedom of man's will. The Baptists in the part where he lived were in general of this opinion, and from them he derived the sentiment and for a time maintained it; till on coming to London, where he had an opportunity of consulting both men and books, he found that the different opinions upon these subjects had given rise to two denominations of Baptists. Examining this point more closely, he in a few years came to a clear understanding of the Calvinistic sentiments, and continued to maintain them during life.

In the year 1664 he wrote a little book, which many of his friends wished him to publish for the use of their children. This request he complied with, and entitled it, The Child's Instructor, or a New and Easy

Primer. He did not put his name to it, and procured a friend to write a recommendatory preface; from which it should seem that he apprehended it would expose him to some difficulties, as there were several things in it contrary to the doctrines and ceremonies of the church of England.

This book was no sooner printed, and some few of them sent down to him, than one Mr. Strafford, a justice of the peace for that county, was informed of it. He immediate ly took a constable with him, and went to the house of Mr. Keach, where they seized all the books they could find, and bound him to appear at the assizes to answer for his crime, in a recognizance of a hundred pounds himself, and two sureties of fifty pounds each.

The limits of our work will permit us only to give extracts from this interesting trial.

"The assizes commenced at Aylesbury, October the 8th, 1664, and Lord Chief Justice Hyde, just now mentioned, afterwards Lord Clarendon, presided as judge. The account of this trial will give a pretty correct view of his lordship's character, and of the shameful prostitution of justice resorted to in order to deprive the subjects of their liberty, and to punish the nonconform ists in those days of persecution.

"Mr. Keach was called to the bar the first day in the afternoon. Af ter some reflections upon his person and profession, the judge, holding one of the primers in his hand,said to him, Did not you write this book? Mr. Keach replied, that he did write the greatest part of it. The judge then said with great indignation, What have you to do to take other men's trades out of their hands? I believe you can preach, as well as write books. Thus it is, to let you and such as you are to have the scriptures to wrest to your own destruction. In your book you have made a new creed. I have seen

three creeds before, but never saw a fourth till you made one.

"To this Mr. Keach answered, I have not made a creed, but a confession of my faith. What is a creed then? said the judge. Mr. Keach replied, your Lordship said that you had never seen but three creeds; but thousands of Christians have made a confession of their faith.

"The judge speaking many things concerning baptism and the ministers of the gospel, Mr. Keach began to answer, but was prevented by the judge, who said, you shall not preach here, nor give the reasons of your damnable doctrine to seduce and infect the king's subjects: these are not things for such as you to meddle with, nor to write books of divinity. I will try you for it before I sleep. He accordingly gave directions to the clerk to draw up the indictment; but though he spent much of his time in assisting the clerk, who was very diligent in preparing the bill, they could not get ready for trial until the next day.

"While the indictment was drawing up, the witnesses were sworn, and bid to stand by the clerk till it was finished, and then go with it to the grand jury. During this interval, the judge endeavoured to incense the jury against the prisoner, representing him as a base and dangerous fellow. I shall send you presently, said he, a bill against one that has taken upon him to write a new primer for the instruction of your children; and if this be suffered, children by learning it will become such as he is, and therefore I hope you will do your duty.

"The court being set the next day, the grand jury found a true bill. Mr. Keach being brought to the bar, the clerk said, Benjamin Keach, hear your charge. Thou art here indicted by the name of Benjamin Keach, of Winslow, in the county of Bucks, for that thou being a seditious schismatic person, evily and maliciously disposed and disaffected to his

majesty's government and the gov. ernment of the church of England, didst maliciously and wickedly on the fifth of May in the 16th year of the reign of our sovereign lord the king, write, print, and publish, or cause to be written, printed, and published, one seditious and venomous book, entitled, The Child's Instructor, or a New and Easy Primer; wherein are contained by way of question and answer these damnable positions, contrary to the book of common prayer and the liturgy of the church of England; that is to say, in one place you have thus written :

Q. Who are the right subjects of baptism?

A. Believers, or godly men and women, who make profession of their faith and repentance.

In another place you have wickedly and maliciously written these plain English words:-Q. Why may not infants be received into the church now as they were under the law? A. Because the fleshly seed is cast out. Though God under that dispensation did receive infants in a lineal way by generation; yet he that hath the key of David, that openeth and no man shutteth, and shutteth and no man openeth, hath shut up that way into the church, and opened the door of regeneration, receiving in none now but true be. lievers.

Q. What is the case of infants? A. Infants that die are members of the kingdom of glory, though they be not members of the visible church. Q. Do they then that bring in infants in a lineal way by generation err from the way of truth? A. Yea, they do; for they make not God's holy word their rule, but do presume to open a door that Christ hath shut, and none ought to open.

"Also in another place thou hast wickedly and maliciously composed a short confession of the Christian faith, in which thou hast affirmed this concerning the second person in the blessed Trinity, in these plain

English words :-I also believe that he rose again from the dead, and ascended into heaven above, and there now sitteth at the right hand of God the Father; and from thence he shall come again at the appointed time to reign personally on the earth, and to be judge of the quick and the dead.

In another place you have maliciously and wickedly written these words:-Q How shall it go with the saints? A. Very well: it is the day they have longed for. Then shall they hear the sentence, Come ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for yon; and so shall they reign with Christ on the earth a thousand years, even on Mount Sion in the New Jerusalem; for there will Christ's throne be, on which they must sit down with him.

"In another place thou hast wickedly and maliciously affirmed these things concerning true gospel ministers, in these plain English words following:-Christ hath not chosen the wise and prudent men after the flesh, not great doctors and rabbies; not many mighty and noble, saith St. Paul, are called; but rather the poor and despised, even tradesmen and such like, as were Matthew, Peter, Andrew, Paul, and others. Christ's true ministers have not their learning and teaching from men, or from universities, or from human schools; for human learning, arts and sciences, are not essential in order to the making of a true minister, but only the gift of God which cannot be bought with silver and gold. And also as they have freely received the gift of God, so they do freely administer: they do not preach for hire, for gain or filthy lucre. They are not like false teachers who look for gain from their quarter; who eat the fat and clothe themselves with the wool, and kill them that are fed. Those that put not into their mouths they prepare war against. Also they are not lords over God's heritage: they rule them not by force nor cruelty,

neither have they power to force and compel men to believe and obey their doctrine, but only persuade and entreat. This is the way of the gospel as Christ taught them.-Many other things hast thou seditiously, wickedly, and maliciously written in the said book, to the great displeasure of Almighty God, the scandal of the liturgy of the church of England, the disaffection of the king's people to his majesty's government, the dangers of the peace of this kingdom, to the evil example of others, and contrary to the statute in that case made and provided.

The indictment being read, the clerk said, How say you, Benjamin Keach? Are you guilty or not guilty? To this Mr. Keach replied, the indictment is very long: I cannot remember half of it, nor have I been accustomed to plead to indictments. I desire to have a copy of it, and liberty to confer with council about it, in order to put in my exceptions; and then I shall plead to it.

"The judge addressing Mr. Keach, said, It is your intention to delay your trial till the next assizes. No, my lord, said Mr. Keach: I have no design by this to delay my trial. The judge answered, I will not deny you what is your right, but you must first plead to the indictment, and afterwards you shall have a copy of it. Mr. Keach replied, I desire I may have a copy of it before I plead, in order to put in my exceptions against it.

Judge. You shall not have it be fore you plead, guilty or not guilty. Keach. It is what has been grant ed to others.

Judge. You shall not have a copy of it first; and if you refuse to plead guilty or not guilty, I shall take it pro confesso, and give judgment against you accordingly.

When Mr Keach saw that he was thus overruled by the judge, and that he was denied his rights as an Englishman, he pleaded not guilty.

After the trial, the judge sum

med up the evidence, and gave his charge to the jury; wherein he endeavoured to incense them against the prisoner, as he had uone before in his charge to the grand jury.

The jury having received their charge, withdrew, and stayed for some hours. At length one of the bailiffs who attended them came and told the judge that the jury could not agree.

But, said the judge, they must agree. The bailiff replied, that they desired to know whether one of them might not speak to his worship about something whereof they were in doubt. Yes, privately, said the judge; and ordered that one should

come to him on the bench. When the officer had fetched one of them, the juryman was set upon the clerk's table, and the judge and he whispered a great while; and it was observed that the judge having his hands upon his shoulders would frequently shake him as he spake to

bim!

Upon the person returning, the whole jury quickly came in; and being according to custom called over by their names, the clerk proceeded.

1

Clerk. How say you? Is Benjamin Keach guilty of the matter contained in the indictment against him, or not guilty!

Foreman. Guilty in part.
Clerk Of what part?

Foreman. In the indictment he is charged with these words: When the thousand years shall be expired, then shall all the rest of the devils be raised: but in the book it is, "then shall the rest of the dead be raised."

Clerk. Is he guilty of the indictment, that sentence excepted?

One of the jurymen said, I cannot in conscience find him guilty, because the words in the indictment and the book do not agree.

Judge. That is only through a mistake of the clerk, and in that one sentence only. You may find him

guilty of all, that sentence excepted: but why did you come in before you were agreed?

Foreman. We thought we had been agreed.

Judge. You must go out again and agree. And as for you that say you cannot in conscience find him guilty, if you say so again without giving reason for it, I shall take an order with you.

Then the jury withdrew, and in a little time returned again and brought in this verdict; that he was guilty of the indictment, that sentence wherein devils is inserted instead of dead only excepted

After the jury had returned a second time, Mr. Keach was called to the bar, and the judge proceeded and passed sentence as follows.

Judge. Benjamin Keach, you are here convicted for writing, printing, and publishing a seditious and schismatical book, for which the court's judgment is this, and the court doth award, That you shall go to gaol for a fortnight without bail or mainprize; and the next Saturday to stand upon the pillory at Aylesbury in the open market, from eleyen o'clock till one, with a paper upon your head with this inscription: For writing, printing, and publish ing a schismatical book, entitled, The Child's Instructor,or a New and Eusy Primer. And the next Thursday, to stand, in the same manner and for the same time, in the market at Winslow; and then your book shall be openly burnt before your face by the common hangman, in disgrace of you and your doctrine. And you shall forfeit to the king's majesty the sum of twenty pounds, and shall remain in gaol until you find sureties for your good behaviour, and for your appearance at the next assizes; then to renounce your doctrines, and make such public submission as shall be enjoined you. Take him away, keeper!

Keach. I hope I shall never renounce those truths which I have written in that book,

Clerk. My lord, he says that he shall never repent. The judge making no answer to this, the gaoler took him away.

It is unnecessary to make any remarks on the arbitrary manner in which this trial was conducted, and on the means by which the verdict was extorted. The common prayerbook was now the standard of truth, and was placed upon a level with the statute law of the kingdom. Surely none could have expected that a Protestant judge would have sentenced any person to such a punishment for such conduct. But "the wicked walk on every side when the vilest of men are exalted,” and therefore it was not difficult to procure a jury suited to such a purpose.

The attempts made to obtain a pardon, or a relaxation of this severe sentence, were ineffectual; and the sheriff took care that every thing should be punctually performed. ed. He was accordingly kept close prisoner till the Saturday, and agreeably to his sentence was brought to the pillory at Aylesbury. Several of his religious friends and acquaintances accompanied him thither; and when they expressed their sorrow for his hard case, and the injustice of his sufferings, he said with a cheerful countenance, The cross is the way to the crown. His head and hands were no sooner fixed in the pillory, but he began to address himself to the spectators to this effect.-Good people, I am not ashamed to stand here this day, with this paper on my head. My Lord Jesus was not ashamed to suffer on the cross for me; and it is for his cause that I am made a gazing-stock. Take notice, it is not for any wickedness that I stand here; but for writing and publishing his truths, which the Spirit of the Lord hath revealed in the holy scriptures.

A clergyman who stood by could not forbear interrupting him, and said, It is for writing and publishing errors; and you may now see what your errors have brought you to.