Richard Baxter was an
EnglishThe English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
PuritanThe Puritans were a significant grouping of English Protestants in the 16th and 17th centuries. Puritanism in this sense was founded by some Marian exiles from the clergy shortly after the accession of Elizabeth I of England in 1558, as an activist movement within the Church of England...
church leader, poet, hymn-writer,
theologianTheology is the systematic and rational study of religion and its influences and of the nature of religious truths, or the learned profession acquired by completing specialized training in religious studies, usually at a university or school of divinity or seminary.-Definition:Augustine of Hippo...
, and
controversialistA polemic is a variety of arguments or controversies made against one opinion, doctrine, or person. Other variations of argument are debate and discussion...
.
Dean StanleyArthur Penrhyn Stanley was an English churchman, Dean of Westminster, known as Dean Stanley. His position was that of a Broad Churchman and he was the author of works on Church History.-Life and times:...
called him "the chief of English Protestant Schoolmen". After some false starts, he made his reputation by his ministry at
KidderminsterKidderminster is a town, in the Wyre Forest district of Worcestershire, England. It is located approximately seventeen miles south-west of Birmingham city centre and approximately fifteen miles north of Worcester city centre. The 2001 census recorded a population of 55,182 in the town...
, and at around the same time began a long and prolific career as theological writer. After the Restoration he refused preferment, while retaining a non-separatist presbyterian approach, and became one of the most influential leaders of the nonconformists, spending time in prison.
Early life and education
Baxter was born at
Rowton, ShropshireRowton is a small village located seven miles north of the Market Town of Wellington, Shropshire. The area is a Chapelry Division of High Ercall Parish.-History:...
, at the house of his maternal grandfather. Richard's early education was poor, being mainly in the hands of the local clergy, themselves virtually illiterate. He was helped by John Owen, master of the free school at
WroxeterWroxeter is a village in Shropshire, England. It forms part of the civil parish of Wroxeter and Uppington and is located in the Severn Valley about south-east of Shrewsbury.-History:...
, where he studied from about 1629 to 1632, and made fair progress in
LatinLatin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
. On Owen's advice he did not proceed to Oxford (a step which he afterwards regretted), but went to
Ludlow CastleLudlow Castle is a large, partly ruined, non-inhabited castle which dominates the town of Ludlow in Shropshire, England. It stands on a high point overlooking the River Teme...
to read with Richard Wickstead, chaplain to the Council of Wales and the Marches.
He was reluctantly persuaded to go to court, and he went to London under the patronage of Sir Henry Herbert,
Master of the RevelsThe Master of the Revels was a position within the English, and later the British, royal household heading the "Revels Office" or "Office of the Revels" that originally had responsibilities for overseeing royal festivities, known as revels, and later also became responsible for stage censorship,...
, with the intention of doing so, but soon returned home, resolved to study
divinityDivinity is the study of Christian and other theology and ministry at a school, divinity school, university, or seminary. The term is sometimes a synonym for theology as an academic, speculative pursuit, and sometimes is used for the study of applied theology and ministry to make a distinction...
. He was confirmed in the decision by the death of his mother.
After three months spent working for the dying Owen as a teacher at Wroxeter, Baxter read
theologyTheology is the systematic and rational study of religion and its influences and of the nature of religious truths, or the learned profession acquired by completing specialized training in religious studies, usually at a university or school of divinity or seminary.-Definition:Augustine of Hippo...
with Francis Garbet, the local clergyman, adding to his reading (initially in devotional writings, of
Richard SibbesRichard Sibbes was an English theologian. He is known as a Biblical exegete, and as a representative, with William Perkins and John Preston, of what has been called "main-line" Puritanism.-Life:...
, William Perkins and Ezekiel Culverwell, as well as the Calvinist
Edmund BunnyEdmund Bunny was an English churchman, preacher and theological writer, of Calvinist views.-Life:He was born in 1540 at the Vache, the seat of Edward Restwold, his mother's father, near Chalfont St. Giles, Buckinghamshire. He was the eldest son of Richard Bunny Edmund Bunny (1540–1619) was an...
at age 14, and then in the scholastic philosophers) orthodox Church of England theology in
Richard HookerRichard Hooker was an Anglican priest and an influential theologian. Hooker's emphases on reason, tolerance and the value of tradition came to exert a lasting influence on the development of the Church of England...
and George Downham, and arguments from conforming puritans in
John SprintJohn Sprint was an English clergyman and theologian, as well as a writer in favor of conformity, despite earlier Puritan views that had led him into conflict with the authorities.-Life:...
and
John BurgesJohn Burges was an English clergyman and physician. He held nuanced reformist views on the vexed questions of the time, on clerical dress and church ceremonies. His preaching offended James I of England, early in his reign, and Burges went abroad for medical training...
. In about 1634, he met Joseph Symonds (assistant to
Thomas GatakerThomas Gataker was an English clergyman and theologian.-Life:He was born in London and educated at St John's College, Cambridge. From 1601 to 1611 he held the appointment of preacher to the society of Lincoln's Inn, which he resigned on accepting the rectory of Rotherhithe...
) and
Walter CradockWalter Cradock was a Welsh Anglican clergyman, who became a travelling evangelical preacher. He was a founder of the first Independent church in Wales in 1638, at Llanvaches, with William Wroth and William Thomas, an early Baptist.-Life:He was born at Trefela, near Llangwm, Monmouthshire, and is...
, two Nonconformists.
Dudley and Bridgnorth
In 1638 Baxter became master of the free
grammar schoolA grammar school is one of several different types of school in the history of education in the United Kingdom and some other English-speaking countries, originally a school teaching classical languages but more recently an academically-oriented secondary school.The original purpose of mediaeval...
at Dudley, where he commenced his ministry, having been
ordainedIn general religious use, ordination is the process by which individuals are consecrated, that is, set apart as clergy to perform various religious rites and ceremonies. The process and ceremonies of ordination itself varies by religion and denomination. One who is in preparation for, or who is...
and
licenseThe verb license or grant licence means to give permission. The noun license or licence refers to that permission as well as to the document recording that permission.A license may be granted by a party to another party as an element of an agreement...
d by
John ThornboroughJohn Thornborough was an English bishop.-Life:In a long ecclesiastical career, he was employed as a chaplain by the Earl of Pembroke, and Queen Elizabeth...
,
Bishop of WorcesterThe Bishop of Worcester is the Ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Worcester in the Province of Canterbury, England. He is the head of the Diocese of Worcester in the Province of Canterbury...
. His success as a
preacherPreacher is a term for someone who preaches sermons or gives homilies. A preacher is distinct from a theologian by focusing on the communication rather than the development of doctrine. Others see preaching and theology as being intertwined...
was at first small; but he was soon transferred to
BridgnorthBridgnorth is a town in Shropshire, England, along the Severn Valley. It is split into Low Town and High Town, named on account of their elevations relative to the River Severn, which separates the upper town on the right bank from the lower on the left...
, in
ShropshireShropshire is a county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. It borders Wales to the west...
, where, as assistant to a Mr Madstard, he established a reputation for conscientiousness.
Baxter remained at Bridgnorth for nearly two years, during which time he took a special interest in the controversy relating to
NonconformityNonconformity may refer to:* Nonconformity , a memoir by Nelson Algren, published posthumously in 1992* Nonconformity , a term in quality management* A type of unconformity in geology...
and the
Church of EnglandThe Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...
. He soon became alienated from the Church on several matters; and after the requirement of the "et cetera oath", he rejected episcopacy in its English form. He became a moderate Nonconformist; and continued as such throughout his life. Though regarded as a Presbyterian, he was not exclusively tied to Presbyterianism, and often seemed prepared to accept a modified Episcopalianism. All forms of church government were regarded by him as subservient to the true purposes of religion.
Kidderminster
One of the first measures of the
Long ParliamentThe Long Parliament was made on 3 November 1640, following the Bishops' Wars. It received its name from the fact that through an Act of Parliament, it could only be dissolved with the agreement of the members, and those members did not agree to its dissolution until after the English Civil War and...
was to reform the clergy; with this view, a committee was appointed to receive complaints against them. Among the complainants were the inhabitants of
KidderminsterKidderminster is a town, in the Wyre Forest district of Worcestershire, England. It is located approximately seventeen miles south-west of Birmingham city centre and approximately fifteen miles north of Worcester city centre. The 2001 census recorded a population of 55,182 in the town...
. The vicar George Dance agreed that he would give £60 a year, out of his income of £200, to a preacher who should be chosen by certain trustees. Baxter was invited to deliver a sermon before the people, and was unanimously elected as the minister. This happened in April 1641, when he was twenty-six.
His ministry continued, with many interruptions, for about nineteen years; and during that time he accomplished many reforms in Kidderminster and the neighbourhood. He formed the ministers in the country around him into an association, uniting them irrespective of their differences as Presbyterians, Episcopalians and Independents. The Reformed Pastor was a book which Baxter published in relation to the general ministerial efforts he promoted.
The English Civil War
On the outbreak of the
First English Civil WarThe First English Civil War began the series of three wars known as the English Civil War . "The English Civil War" was a series of armed conflicts and political machinations that took place between Parliamentarians and Royalists from 1642 until 1651, and includes the Second English Civil War and...
, Baxter blamed both parties and recommended
the ProtestationThe Protestation was an attempt to avert the English Civil War. In July 1641, Parliament passed a bill requiring those over the age of 18 to sign the Protestation, an oath of allegiance to King Charles I and the Church of England it had drawn up on 3 May of that year...
; but
WorcestershireWorcestershire is a non-metropolitan county, established in antiquity, located in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes it is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three counties that comprise the "Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Warwickshire" NUTS 2 region...
was a
RoyalistCharles I was King of England, King of Scotland, and King of Ireland from 27 March 1625 until his execution in 1649. Charles engaged in a struggle for power with the Parliament of England, attempting to obtain royal revenue whilst Parliament sought to curb his Royal prerogative which Charles...
county, and he was exposed to annoyance and danger in Kidderminster. He temporarily retired to
GloucesterGloucester is a city, district and county town of Gloucestershire in the South West region of England. Gloucester lies close to the Welsh border, and on the River Severn, approximately north-east of Bristol, and south-southwest of Birmingham....
. He was preaching at
AlcesterAlcester is an old market town of Roman origin at the junction of the River Alne and River Arrow in Warwickshire, England. It is situated approximately west of Stratford-upon-Avon, and 8 miles south of Redditch, close to the Worcestershire border...
, on 23 October 1642, during the
Battle of EdgehillThe Battle of Edgehill was the first pitched battle of the First English Civil War. It was fought near Edge Hill and Kineton in southern Warwickshire on Sunday, 23 October 1642....
. He returned, but only to be driven out again. He moved next to Coventry. There he found himself with no fewer than thirty fugitive ministers, among whom were
Richard VinesRichard Vines was an English clergyman, one of the Presbyterian leaders of the Westminster Assembly. He became Master of Pembroke Hall, Cambridge, from 1644 to 1650.-Life:...
,
Anthony BurgesAnthony Burges or Burgess was a Nonconformist English clergyman, a prolific preacher and writer.-Life:He was a son of a schoolmaster at Watford, and not related to Cornelius Burgess or John Burges, his predecessor at Sutton Coldfield. He studied at St. John's College, Cambridge from 1623. He...
, John Bryan and
Obadiah Grew-Life:Grew was born at Atherstone, Warwickshire on 1 November 1607, the third son of Francis Grew and Elizabeth Denison. He was baptised the same day at the parish church of Mancetter, Warwickshire. Francis Grew was a layman, originally of good estate but impoverished by prosecutions for...
. He officiated as chaplain to the garrison, preaching once each Sunday to the soldiers, and once to the townspeople and strangers, including Sir Richard Skeffington, Colonel
Godfrey BosvileGodfrey Bosvile was an English politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1640 to 1653. He fought on the Parliamentary side in the English Civil War....
, George Abbot the layman scholar, and others. After the
Battle of NasebyThe Battle of Naseby was the key battle of the first English Civil War. On 14 June 1645, the main army of King Charles I was destroyed by the Parliamentarian New Model Army commanded by Sir Thomas Fairfax and Oliver Cromwell.-The Campaign:...
he took the situation of chaplain to Colonel
Edward WhalleyEdward Whalley was an English military leader during the English Civil War, and was one of the regicides who signed the death warrant of King Charles I of England.-Early career:The exact dates of his birth and death are unknown...
's regiment, and continued to hold it till February 1647. During these stormy years he wrote his Aphorisms of Justification, which on its appearance in 1649 excited great controversy. Of numerous critics the one with whom Baxter engaged most closely was
Christopher CartwrightChristopher Cartwright was an English clergyman, known as a Hebraist and for his use of targums in Biblical exegesis, following the lead of Henry Ainsworth with John Weemes.-Life:...
.
He regretted that he had not previously accepted
Oliver CromwellOliver Cromwell was an English military and political leader who overthrew the English monarchy and temporarily turned England into a republican Commonwealth, and served as Lord Protector of England, Scotland, and Ireland....
's offer to become chaplain to the Ironsides. Cromwell avoided him; but Baxter, having to preach before him after he had assumed the Protectorship, chose for his subject the old topic of the divisions of the church, and in subsequent interviews argued with him about liberty of conscience, and even defended the monarchy he had subverted. This contact with Cromwell occurred when Baxter was summoned to London to assist in settling "the fundamentals of religion".
In 1647, Baxter was staying at the home of Lady Rouse, wife of
Sir Thomas Rouse, 1st BaronetSir Thomas Rouse, 1st Baronet was an English politician who sat in the House of Commons variously between 1654 and 1660....
, of Rouse Lench in Warwickshire. There, though debilated by illness, he wrote the most of a major work, The Saints' Everlasting Rest (1650).
Return to Kidderminster
On his recovery he returned to Kidderminster, where he also became a prominent political leader, his sensitive conscience leading him into conflict with almost all the contending parties in state and church. A debate all day on 1 January 1650 with
John Tombes-Early life:He was born at Bewdley, Worcestershire, in 1602 or 1603. He matriculated at Magdalen Hall, Oxford, on 23 January 1618, aged 15. His tutor there was William Pemble; among his college friends was John Geree. He graduated B.A. on 12 June 1621...
at
BewdleyBewdley is a town and civil parish in the Wyre Forest District of Worcestershire, England, along the Severn Valley a few miles to the west of Kidderminster...
ended in confused disorder.
Ministry following the Restoration, 1660-1691
After the
RestorationThe Restoration of the English monarchy began in 1660 when the English, Scottish and Irish monarchies were all restored under Charles II after the Interregnum that followed the Wars of the Three Kingdoms...
in 1660 Baxter, who had helped to bring about that event, settled in London. He preached there till the
Act of Uniformity 1662The Act of Uniformity was an Act of the Parliament of England, 13&14 Ch.2 c. 4 ,The '16 Charles II c. 2' nomenclature is reference to the statute book of the numbered year of the reign of the named King in the stated chapter...
took effect, and looked for such terms of comprehension as would have permitted the moderate dissenters with whom he acted to have remained in the
Church of EnglandThe Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...
. In this hope he was sadly disappointed. Church leaders did not wish for such comprehension, and their objective in negotiation was to excuse their own breach of faith. The
Savoy conferenceThe Savoy Conference of 1661 was a significant liturgical discussion that took place, after the Restoration of Charles II, in an attempt to effect a reconciliation within the Church of England.-Proceedings:...
resulted in Baxter's Reformed Liturgy, though it was cast aside without consideration.
The same reputation which Baxter had obtained in the country he secured in London. The power of his preaching was universally felt, and his capacity for business placed him at the head of his party. He had been made a king's chaplain, and was offered the
bishop of HerefordThe Bishop of Hereford is the Ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Hereford in the Province of Canterbury.The see is in the City of Hereford where the seat is located at the Cathedral Church of Saint Mary and Saint Ethelbert which was founded as a cathedral in 676.The Bishop's residence is...
, but he could not accept the offer without assenting to things as they were.
After his refusal he was not allowed, even before the passing of the Act of Uniformity, to be a curate in Kidderminster, and Bishop
George MorleyGeorge Morley D.D. was an English bishop.-Life:He was born in London, England, and educated at Westminster school and the University of Oxford. In 1640, he was presented to the sinecure living of Hartfield, Sussex, and in the following year he was made canon of Christ Church, Oxford and exchanged...
prohibited him from preaching in the diocese of Worcester. Baxter married on 24 September 1662 Margaret Charlton, a woman like-minded with himself. She died in 1681. Baxter wrote the words for the hymn Ye Holy Angels Bright in that year.
Legal troubles
From 1662 until the indulgence of 1687, Baxter's life was constantly disturbed by persecution of one kind or another. He retired to
ActonActon is a district of west London, England, located in the London Borough of Ealing. It is situated west of Charing Cross.At the time of the 2001 census, Acton, comprising the wards of East Acton, Acton Central, South Acton and Southfield, had a population of 53,689 people...
in
MiddlesexMiddlesex is one of the historic counties of England and the second smallest by area. The low-lying county contained the wealthy and politically independent City of London on its southern boundary and was dominated by it from a very early time...
, for the purpose of quiet study, but was placed in prison for keeping a
conventicleA conventicle is a small, unofficial and unofficiated meeting of laypeople, to discuss religious issues in a non-threatening, intimate manner. Philipp Jakob Spener called for such associations in his Pia Desideria, and they were the foundation of the German Evangelical Lutheran Pietist movement...
. Baxter procured a
habeas corpus is a writ, or legal action, through which a prisoner can be released from unlawful detention. The remedy can be sought by the prisoner or by another person coming to his aid. Habeas corpus originated in the English legal system, but it is now available in many nations...
in the court of common pleas.
He was taken up for preaching in London after the licences granted in 1672 were recalled by the king. The meeting house which he had built for himself in Oxendon Street was closed to him after he had preached there only once.
In 1680, he was taken from his house; and though he was released that he might die at home, his books and goods were seized. In 1684, he was carried three times to the sessions house, being scarcely able to stand, and without any apparent cause was made to enter into a bond for £400 in security for his good behaviour.
But his worst encounter was with the chief justice, Sir
George JeffreysGeorge Jeffreys, 1st Baron Jeffreys of Wem, PC , also known as "The Hanging Judge", was an English judge. He became notable during the reign of King James II, rising to the position of Lord Chancellor .- Early years and education :Jeffreys was born at the family estate of Acton Hall, near Wrexham,...
, in May 1685. He had been committed to the
King's Bench PrisonThe King's Bench Prison was a prison in Southwark, south London, from medieval times until it closed in 1880. It took its name from the King's Bench court of law in which cases of defamation, bankruptcy and other misdemeanours were heard; as such, the prison was often used as a debtor's prison...
on the charge of libelling the Church in his Paraphrase on the New Testament, and was tried before Jeffreys on this accusation. No authoritative report of the trial exists; if the partisan account on which tradition is based is accepted, Jeffreys was infuriated. Baxter was sentenced to pay 500 marks, to lie in prison till the money was paid, and to be bound to his good behaviour for seven years. Jeffreys is even said to have proposed he should be whipped behind a cart. Baxter was now seventy, and remained in prison for eighteen months, until the government, hoping to win his influence, remitted the fine and released him.
Later writings and last years
Baxter's health had grown even worse, yet this was the period of his greatest activity as a writer. He wrote 168 or so separate works, including major treatises such as the Christian Directory, the Methodus Theologiae Christianae, and the Catholic Theology. His Breviate of the Life of Mrs Margaret Baxter records the virtues of his wife. A slim devotional work published in 1658 under the title
Call to the Unconverted to Turn and Live formed one of the core extra-biblical texts of
evangelicalismEvangelicalism is a Protestant Christian movement which began in Great Britain in the 1730s and gained popularity in the United States during the series of Great Awakenings of the 18th and 19th century.Its key commitments are:...
until at least the middle of the nineteenth century.
The remainder of his life, from 1687 onwards, was passed peacefully. He died in London, and his funeral was attended by churchmen as well as dissenters.
Theology
Richard Baxter held to a form of
AmyraldismAmyraldism primarily refers to a modified form of Calvinist theology...
, a moderated form of
CalvinismCalvinism is a Protestant theological system and an approach to the Christian life...
which rejected the idea of a
limited atonementLimited atonement is a doctrine in Christian theology which is particularly associated with the Reformed tradition and is one of the five points of Calvinism...
in favor of a universal atonement similar to that of
Hugo GrotiusHugo Grotius , also known as Huig de Groot, Hugo Grocio or Hugo de Groot, was a jurist in the Dutch Republic. With Francisco de Vitoria and Alberico Gentili he laid the foundations for international law, based on natural law...
. He devised an eclectic middle route between doctrines of grace, namely the Bezan Reformed, Grotius's
ArminianArminianism is a school of soteriological thought within Protestant Christianity based on the theological ideas of the Dutch Reformed theologian Jacobus Arminius and his historic followers, the Remonstrants...
, John Cameron's Amyraldism, and
AugustineAugustine of Hippo , also known as Augustine, St. Augustine, St. Austin, St. Augoustinos, Blessed Augustine, or St. Augustine the Blessed, was Bishop of Hippo Regius . He was a Latin-speaking philosopher and theologian who lived in the Roman Africa Province...
's Roman traditions. Interpreting the kingdom of God in terms of Christ as
Christus VictorThe term Christus Victor refers to a Christian understanding of the atonement which views Christ's death as the means by which the powers of evil, which held humankind under their dominion, were defeated...
and Rector of all men, Baxter explained Christ's death as an act of universal redemption (penal and vicarious, though substitutionary in explication), in virtue of which God has made a "new law" offering pardon and amnesty to the penitent. Repentance and faith, being obedience to this law, are the believer's personal saving righteousness.
Baxter insisted that the Calvinists of his day, armed with their unyielding allegiance on the sola fide of the Reformation, ran the danger of ignoring the conditions that came with God's gift of the covenant of grace. Justification, Baxter insisted, required at least some degree of faith and works as the human response to the love of God: "[I]f in acknowledgement of the favour of his
RedemptionRedemption is a concept common to several theologies. It is generally associated with the efforts of people within a faith to overcome their shortcomings and achieve the moral positions exemplified in their faith.- In Buddhism :...
, he will but pay a pepper corn, he shall be restored to his former possession, and much more."
Baxter's theology was set forth most elaborately in his Latin Methodus theologiæ Chriatianæ (London, 1681); the Christian Directory (1673) contains the practical part of his system; and Catholic Theology (1675) is an English exposition. His theology made Baxter very unpopular among his contemporaries and caused a split among the Dissenters of the eighteenth century. As summarized by Thomas W. Jenkyn, it differed from the Calvinism of Baxter's day on four points:
- The atonement of Christ
Christ is the English term for the Greek meaning "the anointed one". It is a translation of the Hebrew , usually transliterated into English as Messiah or Mashiach...
did not consist in his suffering the identical but the equivalent punishment (i.e., one which would have the same effect in moral government) as that deserved by mankind because of offended law. Christ died for sins, not persons. While the benefits of substitutionary atonementTechnically speaking, substitutionary atonement is the name given to a number of Christian models of the atonement that all regard Jesus as dying as a substitute for others, "instead of" them...
are accessible and available to all men for their salvation; they have in the divine appointment a special reference to the subjects of personal election.
- The elect were a certain fixed number determined by the decree without any reference to their faith as the ground of their election; which decree contemplates no reprobation but rather the redemption of all who will accept Christ as their Savior.
- What is imputed to the sinner in the work of justification is not the righteousness of Christ but the faith of the sinner himself in the righteousness of Christ.
- Every sinner has a distinct agency of his own to exert in the process of his conversion. The Baxterian theory, with modifications, was adopted by many later Presbyterians and Congregationalists in England, Scotland, and America (Isaac Watts
Isaac Watts was an English hymnwriter, theologian and logician. A prolific and popular hymnwriter, he was recognised as the "Father of English Hymnody", credited with some 750 hymns...
, Philip DoddridgePhilip Doddridge DD was an English Nonconformist leader, educator, and hymnwriter.-Early life:...
, and many others).
Baxter is best understood as an eclectic scholastic covenantal theologian for whom the distinction between God's conditional covenant (the voluntas de debito) and his absolute will (the voluntas de rerum eventu) is key to the entire theological enterprise. Despite the difficulty in classifying Baxter, his emphasis on the conditionality of the covenant of grace and therefore on the necessity of faith and works for our standing before God is undeniable.
Legacy
There is a portrait of Baxter in
Dr Williams's LibraryDr Williams's Library is a small research library located in Gordon Square in Bloomsbury, London.-History:It was founded using the estate of Dr Daniel Williams as a theological library, intended for the use of ministers of religion, students and others studying theology, religion and...
, Gordon Square, London.
A tribute of general esteem was paid to him nearly two centuries later, when a statue was erected to his memory at Kidderminster. Unveiled 28 July 1875, sculpted by
Sir Thomas BrockSir Thomas Brock KCB RA was an English sculptor.- Life :Brock was born in Worcester, attended the School of Design in Worcester and then undertook an apprenticeship in modelling at the Worcester Royal Porcelain Works. In 1866 he became a pupil of the sculptor John Henry Foley. He married in 1869,...
. Originally in the Bull Ring but moved to its present site, outside St Mary's parish church, March 1967. There have also been numerous sightings of the ghost of an old man in this area that some individuals have identified as possibly being that of Baxter.
Baxter House, a boarding house at
Old Swinford HospitalOld Swinford Hospital is a selective voluntary aided boys' boarding school in Oldswinford, Stourbridge, West Midlands, England that has been in continuous operation since the 17th century.- History :Old Swinford Hospital opened in the late summer of 1667...
school in
StourbridgeStourbridge is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Dudley, in the West Midlands of England. Historically part of Worcestershire, Stourbridge was a centre of glass making, and today includes the suburbs of Amblecote, Lye, Norton, Oldswinford, Pedmore, Wollaston, Wollescote and Wordsley The...
, is named after him.
The high school, Baxter College, in Kidderminster, is named after him.
Baxter's House in
BridgnorthBridgnorth is a town in Shropshire, England, along the Severn Valley. It is split into Low Town and High Town, named on account of their elevations relative to the River Severn, which separates the upper town on the right bank from the lower on the left...
is still standing near the High Street with a name plaque on the front.
In 1674, Baxter cast in a new form the substance of
Arthur DentArthur Dent was the author of The Plain Man's Pathway to Heaven, first published in 1601. This was one of the two books that John Bunyan read before or during the four years of spiritual struggle that led eventually to his conversion, and his subsequent writing of Pilgrim's Progress. The other...
's book The Plain Man's Pathway to Heaven under the title, The Poor Man's Family Book. In this way, Arthur Dent of South Shoebury was a link between Baxter and another great Puritan
John BunyanJohn Bunyan was an English Christian writer and preacher, famous for writing The Pilgrim's Progress. Though he was a Reformed Baptist, in the Church of England he is remembered with a Lesser Festival on 30 August, and on the liturgical calendar of the Episcopal Church on 29 August.-Life:In 1628,...
.
Max WeberKarl Emil Maximilian "Max" Weber was a German sociologist and political economist who profoundly influenced social theory, social research, and the discipline of sociology itself...
(1864–1920), the German sociologist, made significant use of Baxter's works in developing his thesis for "
The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of CapitalismThe Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism is a book written by Max Weber, a German sociologist, economist, and politician. Begun as a series of essays, the original German text was composed in 1904 and 1905, and was translated into English for the first time by Talcott Parsons in 1930...
" (1904, 1920).
His influence in New England is referenced in the first chapter of the 19th century devotional work "I Will Be A Lady - a book for girls" by Mrs. Tuthill.
Until July 2011 he was one of the six houses (the others Acton, Clive, Darwin, Houseman and Webb) The Priory School, Shrewsbury. The houses are named after Historical People from Shropshire. Later this year the houses will change to Tree Names.
Richard Baxter is commemorated in the
Calendar of saints of the Episcopal Church in the United States of AmericaThe veneration of saints in the Episcopal Church is a continuation of an ancient tradition from the early Church which honors important people of the Christian faith. The usage of the term "saint" is similar to Roman Catholic and Orthodox traditions. Those in the Anglo-Catholic tradition may...
with a feast day on December 8.
External links
- Works of Richard Baxter in Post-Reformation Digital Library
- Several of Baxter's works at the Christian Classics Ethereal Library
- Self-Denial one of the sermons of Richard Baxter
- Plain Scripture Proof of Infants Church-Membership and Baptism by Richard Baxter (1656)
- Five Disputations of Church-Government, and Worship by Richard Baxter (1659)
- A Saint or a Brute: The Certain Necessity and Excellency of Holiness by Richard Baxter (1662)
- The Life of Faith by Richard Baxter (1670)
- Reliquiæ Baxterianæ: or, Mr. Richard Baxter's Narrative of the Most Memorable Passages of His Life and Times by Richard Baxter (1696)
- An Abridgement of Mr. Baxter's History of His Life and Times: With an Account of the Ministers, &c. who Were Ejected at the Restauration, of King Charles II...and the Continuation of Their History to the Passing of the Bill Against Occasional Conformity, in 1711 by Edmund Calamy
Edmund Calamy was an English Nonconformist churchman, divine and historian.-Life:A grandson of Edmund Calamy the Elder, he was born in the City of London, in the parish of St Mary Aldermanbury. He was sent to various schools, including Merchant Taylors', and in 1688 proceeded to the university of...
(1713)
- The Reformed Pastor; A Discourse on the Pastoral Office by Richard Baxter, ed. Samuel Parker (1808)
- A Christian Directory: Or, A Body of Practical Divinity and Cases of Conscience, Volume I by Richard Baxter (Richard Edwards, 1825)
- A Christian Directory: Or, A Body of Practical Divinity and Cases of Conscience, Volume II by Richard Baxter (Richard Edwards, 1825)
- A Christian Directory: Or, A Body of Practical Divinity and Cases of Conscience, Volume III by Richard Baxter (Richard Edwards, 1825)
- A Christian Directory: Or, A Body of Practical Divinity and Cases of Conscience, Volume IV by Richard Baxter (Richard Edwards, 1825)
- A Christian Directory: Or, A Body of Practical Divinity and Cases of Conscience, Volume V by Richard Baxter (Richard Edwards, 1825)
- The Description, Reasons and Reward of Walking With God: On Genesis V.24 by Richard Baxter (J. Owen, 1825)
- Memoirs of Margaret Baxter: Daughter of Francis Charlton and Wife of Richard Baxter (Richard Edwards, 1826)
- A Call to the Unconverted. To Which Are Added Several Valuable Essays by Richard Baxter, with an Introduction by Thomas Chalmers
Thomas Chalmers , Scottish mathematician, political economist, divine and a leader of the Free Church of Scotland, was born at Anstruther in Fife.-Overview:...
(1829)
- The Practical Works of the Rev. Richard Baxter, Volume I, ed. William Orme (1830)
- The Practical Works of the Rev. Richard Baxter, Volume II, ed. William Orme (1830)
- The Practical Works of the Rev. Richard Baxter, Volume III, ed. William Orme (1830)
- The Practical Works of the Rev. Richard Baxter, Volume IV, ed. William Orme (1830)
- The Practical Works of the Rev. Richard Baxter, Volume V, ed. William Orme (1830)
- The Practical Works of the Rev. Richard Baxter, Volume VI, ed. William Orme (1830)
- The Practical Works of the Rev. Richard Baxter, Volume VII, ed. William Orme (1830)
- The Practical Works of the Rev. Richard Baxter, Volume X, ed. William Orme (1830)
- The Practical Works of the Rev. Richard Baxter, Volume XI, ed. William Orme (1830)
- The Practical Works of the Rev. Richard Baxter, Volume XII, ed. William Orme (1830)
- The Practical Works of the Rev. Richard Baxter, Volume XIII, ed. William Orme (1830)
- The Practical Works of the Rev. Richard Baxter, Volume XV, ed. William Orme (1830)
- The Practical Works of the Rev. Richard Baxter, Volume XVI, ed. William Orme (1830)
- The Practical Works of the Rev. Richard Baxter, Volume XVII, ed. William Orme (1830)
- The Practical Works of the Rev. Richard Baxter, Volume XVIII, ed. William Orme (1830)
- The Practical Works of the Rev. Richard Baxter, Volume XIX, ed. William Orme (1830)
- The Practical Works of the Rev. Richard Baxter, Volume XXI, ed. William Orme (1830)
- The Practical Works of the Rev. Richard Baxter, Volume XXII, ed. William Orme (1830)
- The Practical Works of the Rev. Richard Baxter, Volume XXIII, ed. William Orme (1830)
- The Life and Times of the Rev. Richard Baxter: With a Critical Examination of His Writings, Volume I by William Orme (1831)
- The Life and Times of the Rev. Richard Baxter: With a Critical Examination of His Writings, Volume II by William Orme (1831)
- Select Practical Writings of Richard Baxter, Volume I, ed. Leonard Bacon
Leonard Bacon was an American Congregational preacher and writer.-Biography:Leonard Bacon was born in Detroit, Michigan...
(1831)
- Converse with God in Solitude by Richard Baxter (C. Wells, 1833)
- Select Practical Writings of Richard Baxter, Volume II, ed. Leonard Bacon
Leonard Bacon was an American Congregational preacher and writer.-Biography:Leonard Bacon was born in Detroit, Michigan...
(1835)
- Jesuit Juggling: Forty Popish Frauds Detected and Disclosed by Richard Baxter (Gould, Kendall & Lincoln, 1835)
- "Making Light of Christ and Salvation," "A Call to the Unconverted," "The Last Work of a Believer," and "The Shedding Abroad of God's Love" by Richard Baxter, ed. Thomas W. Jenkyn (1846)
- What We Must Do to Be Saved by Richard Baxter, ed. Alexander Balloch Grosart
Alexander Balloch Grosart was a Scottish clergyman and literary editor. He is chiefly remembered for reprinting much rare Elizabethan literature, a work which he undertook because of his interest in Puritan theology.-Life:...
(1868)
- The Saints' Everlasting Rest; or, A Treatise on the Blessed State of the Saints in their Enjoyment of God in Heaven by Richard Baxter (T. Nelson & Sons, 1872)
- The Life of Rev. Richard Baxter by the American Tract Society
The American Tract Society is a nonprofit, nonsectarian but evangelical organization founded on May 11, 1825 in New York City for the purpose of publishing and disseminating Christian literature. ATS traces its lineage back through the New York Tract Society and the New England Tract Society to...
(19th century)
- How to Spend the Day with God by Richard Baxter (on www.theologynetwork.org)