Joseph Benson

Joseph Benson
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Engraving by Thomas Blood, after John Jackson
Born	25 January 1749 (N.S.) Melmerby, Cumberland, England
Died	16 February 1821 London, England
Occupation	Methodist minister, preacher, theologian, biblical commentator and editor
Denomination	Wesleyan Methodist
Theological position	Wesleyan Arminian
Notable offices	President of the Methodist Conference (1798, 1810) Editor of the Methodist Magazine (1803–1821)
Major work	The Holy Bible with Notes, Critical, Explanatory, and Practical

Joseph Benson (25 January 1749 – 16 February 1821) was an English Methodist minister, theologian, biblical commentator and editor who became one of the leading figures in the Wesleyan movement following the ministry of John Wesley. He was particularly well known for his preaching, his defence of Methodist doctrine, and his extensive five-volume commentary on the Bible, commonly known as Benson's Commentary. He served twice as President of the Methodist Conference and edited the Methodist Magazine for nearly two decades.

Early life and education

Benson was born at Melmerby, in the parish of Kirkoswald, Cumberland, the son of John Benson and Isabella Robinson. His father intended him for the ministry of the Church of England. He received his early education at the village school and subsequently studied under a Presbyterian minister named Dean, who gave him a thorough grounding in Latin, Greek and Hebrew. Benson also had access to his tutor's extensive library, developing an early interest in theological and scholarly subjects.

As a young man, Benson became acquainted with Methodism through the influence of a cousin, Joseph Watson. He began reading Wesley's sermons and attending Methodist meetings. In December 1765 he travelled to Newcastle in the hope of hearing John Wesley preach. Having missed Wesley there, Benson determined to seek him out in London.

He eventually met Wesley in London in March 1766 and accompanied him to Bristol. Wesley quickly recognised his academic ability and appointed him classical master at Kingswood School, where he taught the sons of itinerant Methodist preachers. Benson also began preaching, including to the colliers in the surrounding district.

Ministry

In 1769 Benson entered St Edmund Hall, Oxford. The following year, on the recommendation of John Fletcher, he was appointed headmaster of the theological college established by the Countess of Huntingdon at Trevecca in Wales.

Benson and Fletcher were both adherents of Arminianism, whereas the Countess of Huntingdon favoured Calvinism. Differences over theology led to their departure from the institution after approximately nine months. Benson subsequently returned to Oxford and continued to consider entering the ordained ministry of the Church of England. His application for Anglican orders was unsuccessful, however, and he entered the Methodist itinerancy in 1771.

From 1771 to 1800 Benson served principally in northern Methodist circuits, although his ministry also took him throughout England, Scotland and Wales. He became a close associate and correspondent of John Wesley and was recognised as one of the leading preachers of the generation following Wesley.

Benson was noted for his command of Scripture and his ability to preach to large congregations. His ministry was not confined to preaching, and he also supported religious and philanthropic causes, including efforts on behalf of enslaved people in the West Indies and America.

Methodist leadership and editorship

Benson was elected President of the Methodist Conference in 1798 and again in 1810. He was one of the most influential Wesleyan ministers of his time and took an active interest in the organisation, doctrine and public reputation of the Methodist movement.

He frequently defended Methodism against criticism from Anglican clergy and other religious opponents. His writings addressed questions of Methodist doctrine, religious discipline and the relationship between Methodists and the established Church.

In 1803 Benson became editor of the Methodist Magazine, a position he retained until his death in 1821. He also held an important editorial position at the Methodist Book Room, overseeing the publication and distribution of Methodist literature.

Among his editorial achievements was the preparation of a new sixteen-volume edition of the collected Works of John Wesley, published between 1809 and 1813. His work helped preserve and circulate Wesley's writings among subsequent generations of Methodists.

Works

Joseph Benson was a prolific theological writer whose publications included biblical exposition, sermons, religious biographies and controversial works defending Methodist doctrine. His most substantial literary achievement was his commentary on the whole Bible, which became an important resource in Wesleyan religious life.

Biblical commentary

The Holy Bible, containing the Old and New Testaments, according to the present authorised version, with notes, critical, explanatory, and practical (1810–1818), commonly known as Benson's Commentary, was his principal work.

The commentary was published in five volumes and provided notes on the entire Old Testament and New Testament. Its full title described its intended contents, including the marginal readings of approved printed editions of Scripture, parallel biblical passages, summaries of individual books and chapters, and chronological dates for the events recorded in the Bible.

The work combined textual explanation with practical and theological exposition. Benson drew upon his knowledge of the biblical languages and his familiarity with earlier biblical commentators, while interpreting Scripture from his Wesleyan theological standpoint.

The five-volume second edition was published between 1811 and 1818 by T. Cordeux in London. The volumes were issued over a number of years, with the first appearing in 1811 and the final volumes in 1818. The commentary was subsequently reprinted and remained in use among Protestant readers well into the nineteenth century.

Theological and apologetic writings

Benson published several works defending Methodist beliefs and responding to theological opponents, including:

• Remarks on Dr. Priestley's System of Materialism and Necessity (1788), a response to the materialist philosophy of Joseph Priestley.
• A Scriptural Essay towards the Proof of an Immortal Spirit in Man (1788), a continuation of his criticism of Priestley's materialism.
• A Demonstration of the Want of Common Sense in the New Testament Writers, on the Supposition of Their Believing and Teaching Socinianism (1791), a theological argument appended to John Fletcher's Socinianism Unscriptural.
• A Defence of the Methodists in Five Letters to the Rev. Dr. Tatham (1793), a response to criticism of Methodism by Edward Tatham of Oxford.
• A Farther Defence of the Methodists, addressed to the Reverend William Russell, in answer to his Hints to the Methodists and Dissenters (1793–1794).
• A Vindication of the People Called Methodists, written in answer to a report by clergy in the Diocese of Lincoln (1800).
• An Apology for the People Called Methodists: Containing a Concise Account of Their Origin and Progress, Doctrine, Discipline, and Designs (1801).
• The Inspector of Methodism Inspected, and the Christian Observer Observed (1803), a response to William Hales's criticism of Methodism.

These writings demonstrate Benson's sustained efforts to defend Methodist doctrine and the legitimacy of the movement against contemporary religious criticism.

Biographical and devotional works

Benson also produced biographies and collections of sermons, including:

• Sermons on Various Occasions, and Most of Them on the Principal Subjects of Genuine Christianity (1802). This collection brought together sermons addressing central subjects of Christian doctrine and religious life. It was subsequently republished in a two-volume second edition in 1836.
• The Life of the Rev. John W. de la Flechere, published in 1804. This biography concerned the life of the Methodist theologian John Fletcher, also known as John William de la Fléchère. Benson compiled it from accounts by John Wesley, biographical notes by the Reverend Joshua Gilpin, Fletcher's correspondence and other documents. The work was undertaken at the request of Fletcher's widow and the Methodist Conference.

Completion of John Fletcher's work

Benson also completed and revised a theological manuscript left unfinished by John Fletcher.

• A Rational Vindication of the Catholic Faith: Being the First Part of a Vindication of Christ's Divinity, published in 1790. Originally written by John Fletcher, the work was left incomplete at his death. At the request of Fletcher's widow, Benson revised and completed the manuscript for publication.

The published title page explicitly identifies Fletcher as the original author and Benson as the person who revised and finished the work. It should therefore be understood as a posthumous completion of Fletcher's theological writing rather than an independent work wholly authored by Benson.

Editorial work

In addition to his own publications, Benson made a substantial contribution to Methodist literature as an editor. His responsibilities included:

• Editing the Methodist Magazine from 1803 until 1821.
• Supervising the Methodist Book Room's publications.
• Preparing and editing a sixteen-volume edition of the Works of John Wesley, published between 1809 and 1813.

Benson's editorial activities helped make the writings of Wesley and other Methodist authors available to a wider readership and contributed to the development of nineteenth-century Wesleyan literature.

Death and legacy

Benson died in London on 16 February 1821 and was buried at Wesley's Chapel. His life and ministry spanned the formative period of English Methodism, from his early association with John Wesley to his own leadership of the movement in the years following Wesley's death.

He is remembered principally as an important Wesleyan preacher, theological writer and editor. His commentary on the Bible, in particular, established his place among the Methodist biblical expositors of the nineteenth century. The survival of his correspondence and other personal papers in the Methodist Archives and Research Centre at the University of Manchester also provides an important historical record of Methodist affairs during his lifetime.

See also

• John Wesley
• John Fletcher
• Methodism
• Arminianism
• Methodist Conference
• Methodist Magazine
• Bible commentary

External links

• Benson, Joseph, A Dictionary of Methodism in Britain and Ireland.
• Joseph Benson Papers, University of Manchester Library.
• Benson, Joseph, Dictionary of National Biography (1885).
• Portrait of Joseph Benson, Wikimedia Commons.