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Gospel Preachers - Benjamin Keach


Who was Benjamin Keach (1640-1704)? We often find ourselves learning about historical figures that had a lasting impact on our lives, yet we are often unfamiliar with them. Benjamin Keach is one such person. Keach was an influential 17th-century Particular Baptist preacher and theologian. He was born in Buckinghamshire in 1640. He worked as a tailor early on due to his family's poverty. He was baptized at the age of 15 and began to preach at 18. He served as the minister for the congregation at Winslow before moving in 1668 to the church at Horsleydown, Southwark, where he remained as pastor for 36 years. 

Benjamin Keach was ardent in his conviction that the Bible was not merely to be explained, but it was a necessity that the Scriptures be applied to the conscience. He greatly emphasized the authority of Scripture over church tradition. His preaching revealed a confidence that when preaching, God speaks directly through His Word. This became the primary means by which God awakened the hearer, justifying sinners and sanctifying saints. Keach wrote, “The Holy Scriptures are the only rule of faith and practice; whatever is not grounded upon them is but the invention of men.” 

Moreover, his preaching was unarguably Christocentric. His Christ-Centered approach to interpretation emphasized his belief that every Christian doctrine finds its center in the person and work of Christ. Keach wrote, “Christ is the sum and substance of all the Scriptures; the true scope of every passage is to lead us unto Him.”  Therefore, the preacher's job is to lift Christ before the congregation. This is because, in every text, redemption is revealed through seeing Christ. 

Finally, Keach’s preaching reveals an application emphasis on the inner life of man. Keach wrote, “True godliness lies much in the inward work of the heart, without which all outward performances are but a dead carcass.”  He appealed to the affections, conscience, and spiritual struggles of his congregation. Calling them to the necessity of new life in Christ, the reality of the spiritual warfare around them, and the dangers of false professions.  

Here are some key things to know about Benjamin Keach:

Benjamin Keach introduced congregational hymn singing. Around 1688, Keach’s church became the first Baptist congregation to adopt regular hymn singing. He even published a book of original hymns in 1691, sparking controversy among Baptists.

Keach had a significant role in the development of the 1689 Second London Baptist Confession. He worked alongside Hanserd Knollys and William Kiffin in shaping the confession. He helped solidify Particular Baptist doctrinal unity through this document.

Keach published a Baptist catechism that became referred to as “Keach’s Catechism” in 1677. This is widely regarded as the first major Baptist catechism. It is still widely used in Reformed Baptist circles today. 

The influence of Benjamin Keach can be traced through centuries. We have a great debt to the faithfulness of Keach. His influence is seen in that he pastored at Winslow, which later became New Park Street Church and eventually Metropolitan Tabernacle under the leadership of Charles H. Spurgeon. He was a prolific writer, producing 43 works. His catechism was written as an attempt to clarify some of the theological points of the Second London Baptist Confession.  


For more in-depth reading on Benjamin Keach, I highly recommend these books:

  • Arnold, Jonathan W. The Reformed Theology of Benjamin Keach (1640-1704). Oxford: Oxford Publications, 2019.
  • Cooper, Michael R., Jr. The Word of This Salvation in the Mouths of Christ's Ministers: Retrieving a Theology of Preaching as Reflected in the Sermons and Writings of Benjamin Keach (1640-1704). Eugene, OR: Wipf and Stock, 2026.
  • Copeland, David A. Benjamin Keach and the Development of Baptist Traditions in Seventeenth-Century England. Lewiston: E. Mellen Press, 2001.
  • Haynes, David C. and Dudley C. Haynes. The Baptist Denomination: Its History, Doctrines, and Ordinances. New York: Sheldon Blakeman and Co, 1857.
  • Keach, Benjamin. Keach’s Catechism. Edinburgh: CrossReach Publications, 2017. 
  • Walker, Austin. The Excellent Benjamin Keach, Second Edition. Kitchener: Joshua Press, 2014.


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