{{More citations needed|date=March 2017}} {{Short description|English minister & hymnwriter (1663–1713)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=September 2014}} {{Use British English|date=September 2014}}
'''Joseph Stennett''' (1663 – 11 July 1713) was an English Seventh Day Baptist minister and influential hymnwriter. He published several books of theological argument and sermons as well as hymns.
==Youth and marriage== Joseph Stennett was born in 1663 at Abingdon, Berkshire, England of pious parents, Edward Stennett and Mary (Quelch) Stennett. Edward was a dissenting (non-Anglican Church) preacher.<ref>{{cite web |url= https://www.bibletruthpublishers.com/the-little-flock-hymn-book-its-history-and-hymn-writers/a-roach/lbd23757 |title= The Little Flock Hymn Book: Its History and Hymn Writers |author=<!--Not stated--> |date= |website= Bible Truth Publishers |publisher= |access-date= November 20, 2025 |quote=}}</ref> Joseph attended Wallingford Grammar School. He was also tutored by his father, Edward, and older brother, Jedudah, and learned French, Italian, and Hebrew. Both his father and his brother had written Hebrew grammars. Joseph's heart was turned to Christ at an early age. In 1685, at the age of 22, he moved to London where he worked as a tutor.<ref>{{cite web |url= https://www.stempublishing.com/hymns/biographies/stennett.html |title= Joseph Stennett |author=<!--Not stated--> |date= |website= Stem Publishing |publisher= |access-date= November 20, 2025 |quote=}}</ref>
In 1688, Joseph Stennett married a daughter of George Guill, a French Protestant refugee. Joseph Stennett was the father of Joseph Stennett, D. D. and the grandfather of Dr. Samuel Stennett.<ref>{{cite web |url= https://www.hymnologyarchive.com/samuel-stennett |title= Samuel Stennett: 1 June 1727 - 24 August 1795 |last= Hatfield |first= Edwin |date= |website= Hymnology Archive |publisher= |access-date= November 20, 2025 |quote=}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url= https://archives.lib.duke.edu/catalog/stennettfamily |title= Stennett Family |author=<!--Not stated--> |date= |website= Duke University Libraries (Collection Guides) |publisher= |access-date= November 20, 2025 |quote=}}</ref> He was also the grandfather of Samuel's brother Joseph, who also had a son named Joseph.
==Ministry== In 1690, Joseph was ordained pastor of the Sabbatarian Baptist (Seventh Day Baptist) congregation meeting in London, at Pinner's Hall, where he served until his death in 1713. Hanserd Knollys, among others, spoke at his ordination.<ref name=WL /> The church's first pastor had been Francis Bampfield, who died in 1684 in Newgate Prison.<ref>{{cite book|author=Richard L. Greaves|title=Saints and Rebels: Seven Nonconformists in Stuart England|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=xJgcAAAAMAAJ|year=1985|publisher=Mercer University Press|location=Macon, Georgia|isbn=978-0-86554-136-8}}</ref> The Pinner's Hall congregation grew to between 120 and 150 members during Stennett's pastorate.{{citation needed|date=December 2022}}
In his early ministry Stennett preached also, on Sabbath evenings, at the Devonshire Square Seventh Day Baptist Church. He mastered Hebrew. Early on, he was tutored by his father, Edward Stennett (died 1690), also a Baptist minister, and author of ''The Royal Law Contended For'' (1658) and ''The Seventh Day Sabbath'' (1664). He had also corresponded with Baptists in Newport, Rhode Island between 1668 and 1674, encouraging them as they organized the first Seventh Day Baptist Church in America in 1671.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book |last=Sanford |first=Don A. |title=A Choosing People: The History of Seventh Day Baptists |publisher=Broadman Press |year=1992 |isbn=0-8054-6055-1 |location=Nashville |pages=127–286}}</ref>
Joseph Stennett was a Particular Baptist, and often supplied pulpit for Sunday churches as well. He was chosen to represent the body of Baptists and other Dissenters in regards to national affairs. Several sermons preached on public occasions were published, and one sermon (''National Thanksgiving'', 1704) won him the favour of Queen Anne.<ref name=":1">{{cite book |last=Crosby |first=Thomas |title=The History of the English Baptists, from the Reformation to the Beginning of the Reign of King George I, 4 vols |publisher=Church History Research and Archives |year=1978 |isbn=978-1140743910 |location=Lafayetter, TN |pages=322}}</ref>
==Death== {{Unreferenced section|date=December 2022}} After falling ill, Stennett followed the advice of his doctor and retired to the home of his brother-in-law, Mr. Morton, in Knaphill, Buckinghamshire, England. However the advice proved of little avail and he died there in 1713, at the age of 49.
==Published works== The writings of Joseph Stennett were collected after his death and published in 1732 in four volumes (The Works Of the late Reverend and Learned Mr. Joseph Stennett: In Five Volumes To which is prefix'd Some Account of his Life, London, 1732). The "fifth" volume was to have included the anti-pedobaptist treatise previously published (in 1704), ''An Answer to Mr. Russen's Book...'', but was not, due to lack of funds. His works include: * Hymns in Commemoration of the Sufferings of our Blessed Saviour Jesus Christ, Compos’d for the Celebration of His Holy Supper, 1697, (second edition revised & expanded 1705, third edition 1709) **{{cite book|title=Hymns in Commemoration of the Sufferings of ... Jesus Christ. Compos'd for the Celebration of His Holy Supper|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=IEhnAAAAcAAJ|year=1697|publisher=J. Darby|location=London}} **{{cite book|title=Hymns in Commemoration of the Sufferings of Our Blessed Saviour Jesus Christ: Compos'd for the Celebration of His Holy Supper|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=oHljAAAAcAAJ|year=1713|publisher=J. Darby|location=London}} * A Version of Solomon's Song of Songs together with the XIVth Psalm, 1697 (second edition, 1703; third edition, 1709) <ref name=Upenn>{{cite web |url= https://onlinebooks.library.upenn.edu/webbin/book/lookupname?key=Stennett%2C%20Joseph%2C%201663-1713 |title= Joseph Stennett |last= |first= |date= |website= University of Pennsylvania Online Books |publisher= |access-date= November 20, 2025 |quote=}}</ref> * An Answer to Mr. David Russen's Book entitled: Fundamentals without a Foundation or a True Picture of the Anabaptists, 1704 **{{cite book|title=An Answer to Mr. D. Russen's book entitul'd, "Fundamentals without a Foundation, or a True Picture of the Anabaptists"|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=oAf1XsYhxtIC|year=1704|publisher=D. Brown|location=London}} * Hymns Compos'd for the Celebration of the Holy Ordinance of Baptism, 1712 (second edition, 1722) **{{cite book|title=HYMNS Compos'd for the celebration of the Holy Ordinance of Baptism |url=https://archive.org/download/hymnscomposdforc00sten/hymnscomposdforc00sten.pdf|year=1722|location=London}} * A translation of Dacier's Plato and other works from the French **{{cite book|title=The Works of Plato Abridg'd: With an Account of His Life ... Together with a Translation of His Choicest Dialogues.... Illustrated with Notes|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=dpxFAAAAMAAJ|volume=1|year=1701|publisher=A. Bell|location=London}} <ref name=Upenn /> **{{cite book|title=The Works of Plato Abridg'd: With an Account of His Life ... Together with a Translation of His Choicest Dialogues.... Illustrated with Notes|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=d5xFAAAAMAAJ|volume=2|year=1701|publisher=A. Bell|location=London}} <ref name=Upenn /> * Various sermons
Joseph Stennett was one of the first significant Baptist hymnwriters.<ref name=WL>{{cite web |url= https://www.wayoflife.org/reports/hymns-jewels-from-samuel-stennett.html |title= Hymns - Jewels From Samuel Stennett |last= Cloud |first= David |date= 15 January 2025 |website= Way of Life Literature |publisher= |access-date= November 20, 2025 |quote=}}</ref> Isaac Watts (who was thirteen years younger than Joseph Stennett) praised Stennett, and included Stennett hymns in his noteworthy ''Hymns and Spiritual Songs in Three Books'', published in 1707.
==Hymns written== *[http://www.hymntime.com/tch/htm/a/n/o/t/another6.htm Another Six Days Work Is Done] *[http://www.hymntime.com/tch/htm/l/o/r/d/a/lordattt.htm Lord, at Thy Table I Behold] *[http://www.hymntime.com/tch/htm/b/e/h/o/l/d/s/beholdsw.htm Behold the Savior of the World] *[http://www.hymntime.com/tch/htm/m/y/b/l/myblesss.htm My Blessed Savior, Is Thy Love] *[https://hymnary.org/text/come_every_pious_heart Come Every Pious Heart] *[https://hymnary.org/text/again_our_weekly_labors_end Again Our Weekly Labors End] *[https://hymnary.org/text/behold_the_grave_where_jesus_lay Behold The Grave Where Jesus Lay] *[https://hymnary.org/text/behold_the_savior_on_the_cross_a_spectac Behold The Savior On The Cross] *[https://hymnary.org/text/come_let_us_all_who_here_have_seen Come Let Us All, Who Here Have Seen] *[https://hymnary.org/text/come_lowly_souls_that_mourn Come Lowly Souls, that mourn] *[https://hymnary.org/text/in_that_most_dark_and_doleful_night In That Most Dark And Doleful Night] *[https://hymnary.org/text/jehovah_we_in_hymns_of_praise Jehovah We In Hymns Of Praise] *[https://hymnary.org/text/jesus_o_word_divinely_sweet Jesus! O Word Divinely Sweet!] *[https://hymnary.org/text/return_my_soul_enjoy_thy_rest Return, My Soul, Enjoy Thy Rest] *[https://hymnary.org/text/see_how_the_willing_converts_trace See How The Willing Converts Trace] *[https://hymnary.org/text/the_great_redeemer_we_adore The Great Redeemer We Adore] *[https://hymnary.org/text/thou_art_all_love_my_dearest_lord Thou Art All Love My Dearest Lord] *[https://hymnary.org/text/thus_was_the_great_redeemer_plunged Thus Was The Great Redeemer Plung'd] *[https://hymnary.org/text/thus_we_commemorate_the_day Thus We Commemorate The Day] *[https://hymnary.org/text/tis_finished_the_redeemer_cries 'Tis Finished, The Redeemer Cries] *[https://hymnary.org/text/with_lowly_minds_and_lofty_song With Lowly Minds And Lofty Song] *[https://www.poetrynook.com/poem/hymns-lords-supper-hymn-12 Gracious Redeemer, How Divine] *[https://www.poetrynook.com/poem/hymns-baptism-hymn-1 Our Lord, When Cloth'd With Mortal Flesh] *[https://www.poetrynook.com/poem/hymn-275 Lord, All These Works Of Thine] *[https://www.poetrynook.com/poem/hymn-8-0 My Soul, Let All Thy Nobler Powers] *[https://books.google.com/books?id=oHljAAAAcAAJ Immortal Praise Be Given] *Whene’er One Sinner Turns to God *I own I love; 'tis no uncomely fire *Blest Day! Ordain'd by God *When the Creator of the world had given *Sacred Body of our Lord, The *When th' ancient world God's patience try'd *O Bless'd Redeemer! in thy side *When from Egyptian slavery The Hebrews were redeem'd *When fam'd Bethesda's waters flow'd *In such a grave as this *See in what grave our Saviour lay <ref>{{cite book|author=John Julian|title=A Dictionary of Hymnology: Setting Forth the Origin and History of Christian Hymns of All Ages and Nations|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=aBDpAAAAIAAJ|year=1892|publisher=C. Scribner's Sons|location=New York}}</ref> <ref>{{cite book|author=Joseph Stennett|title=HYMNS In Commemoration of the sufferings of Our Blessed Saviour JESUS CHRIST, Compos'd for the Celebration of his Holy Supper|url=https://www.nobts.edu/_resources/pdf/library/hymnological-research/Stennett%20Hymns%201713-001.pdf|year=1713|publisher=J. Darby|location=Bartholomew Close, London}}</ref>
== References == {{Reflist}}
==Other sources== *{{cite DNB|wstitle=Stennett, Joseph|volume=54}} *''Seventh Day Baptists in Europe and America'', vols I & II, 1910 *Thomas Crosby, ''The History of the English Baptists'', 1738, reprinted 1979 *John Rippon, ''A Selection of Hymns from the Best Authors, Intended to be an Appendix to Dr. Watts Psalms and Hymns'', 1787 *Isaac Watts, ''Hymns and Spiritual Songs in Three Books'', 1707 *{{cite book|author=Louis F. Benson|title=The English Hymn: its Development and Use in Worship|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=An9UAAAAYAAJ|year=1915|publisher=Hodder & Stoughton, George H. Doran Company|location=New York}} reprinted 1962 *B. A. Ramsbottom, ''Through Cloud and Sunshine: Four Generations of Faithful Witness-the story of the Stennett Family'', 1982 *W. T. Whitley, ''A Baptist Bibliography'', vols I & II, 1916 *''Puritan Pulpit'', Fall 1989, Vol 1, No. 3 *Charles Spurgeon, ''Our Own Hymn-Book''. Reprinted by Pilgrim Press, N.D.
==External links== * [http://www.eighteenthcenturypoetry.org/authors/pers00129.shtml Joseph Stennett] at the [http://www.eighteenthcenturypoetry.org/ Eighteenth-Century Poetry Archive (ECPA)] *[http://www.cyberhymnal.org/bio/s/t/e/stennett_j.htm Biography] at Cyber Hymnal
{{authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Stennett, Joseph}} Category:1663 births Category:1713 deaths Category:English Christian hymnwriters Category:English hymnwriters Category:17th-century English Baptist ministers Category:Seventh Day Baptists