Bye Paths in Baptist History by JJ Goadby Part 10. – Booking and Braintree, Essex

Jim Curran Admin · 12 hrs March 9, 2020

Bye Paths in Baptist History by JJ Goadby Part 10. – Booking and Braintree, Essex

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In Strype’s Ecclesiastical Memorials we find these words, under date 1550: “Sectaries appeared now in Essex and Kent, sheltering themselves under the profession of the Gospel, of whom complaint was made to the Council. These were the first that made separation from the Church of England, having gathered congregations of their own.” They were the first, that is, of which Strype had heard. “The congregation in Essex was mentioned to be at Bocking; that at Kent was at Faversham, as I learnt from an old register. From whence I also collect that they held the opinions of the Anabaptists and the Pelagians; that there were contributions among them for the better maintaining of their congregations; that the members of the congregation in Kent went over with the congregation into Essex, to instruct and join with them; and that they had their meetings in Kent, and in divers places besides Faver-sham.” In other words, the Kent churches at Eythome, Faversham, Sandwich, Canterbury, perhaps, and other places, helped to build up, if they did not actually originate, the church at Becking. Becking and Braintree are two parishes divided by the main road, and the whole is now known as Braintree. The “complaints,” by whomsoever made, against the Baptists at Becking, led to their being watched, and about sixty persons were in the house when the sheriff interrupted their assembly. They confessed to the Council that they had met “to talk the Scriptures,” and that they had not communed at the parish church for two years.” Some were fined and set at liberty. Others were imprisoned, and remained until Queen Mary came to the throne, when they were released, only again to be taken into custody, and by-and-by to the stake. Among the most eminent of the ministers thus dragged, for conscience’ sake, before the Protestant Inquisition, with Cranmer at its head, was Mr. Humphrey Middleton. By order of Cranmer he was kept in prison until the last year of the reign of Edward the Sixth. Middleton is reported to have said to Cranmer, after Cranmer had pronounced his condemnation: “Well, reverend sir, pass what sentence you think fit upon us. But that you may not say you were not forewarned, I testify that your turn will be next.” He was one of those who earned a martyr’s crown in the reign of Mary. Mr. Henry Hart was another of the teachers connected with the churches in Kent and Essex. But little is known of Hart, of George Brobridge, and of others, beyond their names. Hart was imprisoned, this much is known of him, in the dismal days of Queen Mary, and zealously combated in jail the predestination views of some other victims of Mary’s gloomy and cruel fanaticism. Bradford was one of his opponents. The Bocking-Braintree church-book, still in existence, carries back the authentic records of the church for more than two hundred years; but there is no question that the origin of the church itself dates back to the days of Edward the Sixth. Tiverton, Devon, Shrewsbury, Stoney Stanton, and other churches, claim to be more than two centuries old, and the first is said to have existed since the last years of the reign of Queen Elizabeth. But the three churches we have mentioned—Hill Cliffe, Eythome, and Becking deservedly rank

Joseph Jackson Goadby. Bye-paths in Baptist history (Kindle Locations 555-586).