The author
Early life
Richard Baxter was born November 12, 1615 in Rowton, a village in Shropshire. He lived through most of the tumultuous 17th Century, dying December 8, 1691 in London. He has been dubbed “the chief of English Protestant Schoolmen” and “the most successful preacher, winner of souls and nurturer of souls that England has ever had.”
Forced to live with his maternal grandmother until he was 10 because of his father's gambling debts, his beginnings were inauspicious and his early education was poor. In six years he had four different teachers, all ignorant and two of them immoral. After his father's conversion he returned to the parental home in Eaton Constantine but things did not improve in every way. The parish church was no help at all. However, chiefly through his father's influence and through good books that he read, he was converted at some point in his teenage years.
Baxter would have loved a university education but instead studied at a preparatory school in Wroxeter and at Ludlow Castle with Richard Wickstead. Wickstead was not much help but Baxter made good use of the library. After a brief dalliance with court life in London he set himself to study theology with a local clergyman in Wroxeter. In about 1634, he met Joseph Symonds and Walter Cradock who both had a strong nonconformist influence on him.
From the ages of 21-23 Baxter was constantly sick and did not expect to live. He continued to labour with such sicknesses from time to time for the rest of his life. Meanwhile he had a growing desire to enter the ministry of the Church of England and in 1638 became master of the free grammar school in Dudley for nine months, having been ordained and licensed by the Bishop of Worcester.
He then went to Bridgnorth, where, as curate to a Mr Madstard, he established a reputation for conscientiousness. He was at Bridgnorth nearly two years, during which time he took a special interest in the controversy relating to nonconformity. He soon became alienated from the Church on several matters and after the requirement of what is called "the etcetera oath" in 1640, he rejected episcopacy in its English form and became a moderate Nonconformist, which he remained. Generally regarded as a Presbyterian, he was an unconventional one, often prepared to accept a modified Episcopalianism. He regarded all forms of church government as subservient to the true purposes of religion.
Kidderminster
One of the first measures of the Long Parliament was to reform the clergy. They appointed a committee to receive complaints and among the complainants were the inhabitants of Kidderminster whose minister was a drunkard who preached only once every three months! Moves were made that led to Baxter being invited to deliver a sermon before the people and his unanimous election as minister followed in 1641. He was 26.
Some 15 months after this his ministry was interrupted for five years due to the Civil Wars. While loyal to the Royalists, Baxter had spoken in favour of the Parliamentarians and so he moved first to Gloucester then (1643-1645) to Coventry, where he preached regularly both to the garrison and citizens. After the Battle of Naseby he became chaplain to Colonel Edward Whalley's regiment, and continued as chaplain until February 1647. During these stormy years he wrote his Aphorisms of Justification, which on its appearance in 1649 excited great controversy.
Baxter attempted to counteract the growth of the sectaries in the Parliamentary Army and maintain the cause of constitutional government in opposition to the republican tendencies of the time. He regretted that he had not previously accepted Cromwell's offer to become chaplain, being confident in his power of persuasion under the most difficult circumstances. His success in converting the soldiery to his views was in fact limited but he preserved his own consistency and fidelity. He did not hesitate to urge what he saw to be true on the most powerful officers, any more than he hesitated to instruct the camp followers.
In 1647, Baxter languished for five months at death's door at the home of Lady Rouse. It was at this time that he wrote most of his famous work, The Saints' Everlasting Rest (1650). On his recovery, he returned to Kidderminster, where he ministered for the next 14 years. During that time he accomplished many reforms in the town and its neighbourhood. He formed the ministers of the area into an association, uniting them irrespective of ecclesiastical differences. He visited all 800 families in the parish every year, teaching each person individually. His Reformed Pastor, a book describing his pastoral approach became a classic and is still read and admired today. The outstanding feature of his preaching was his earnest zeal. In his writing and preaching he shows his belief that pastors need “the skill necessary to make plain the truth, to convince the hearers, to let in the irresistible light into their consciences, and to keep it there, and drive all home; to screw truth into their minds and work Christ into their affections.”
He was eager to give glory to God for his great success and pointed to factors such as his youthful vigour, his singleness, his moving voice, his diligent assistants, his long service, the town's size, the fact they had not been exposed to an awakening ministry before and the fact that as the people were mostly carpet weavers they were able to read the books he gave them at the loom.
Early life
Richard Baxter was born November 12, 1615 in Rowton, a village in Shropshire. He lived through most of the tumultuous 17th Century, dying December 8, 1691 in London. He has been dubbed “the chief of English Protestant Schoolmen” and “the most successful preacher, winner of souls and nurturer of souls that England has ever had.”
Forced to live with his maternal grandmother until he was 10 because of his father's gambling debts, his beginnings were inauspicious and his early education was poor. In six years he had four different teachers, all ignorant and two of them immoral. After his father's conversion he returned to the parental home in Eaton Constantine but things did not improve in every way. The parish church was no help at all. However, chiefly through his father's influence and through good books that he read, he was converted at some point in his teenage years.
Baxter would have loved a university education but instead studied at a preparatory school in Wroxeter and at Ludlow Castle with Richard Wickstead. Wickstead was not much help but Baxter made good use of the library. After a brief dalliance with court life in London he set himself to study theology with a local clergyman in Wroxeter. In about 1634, he met Joseph Symonds and Walter Cradock who both had a strong nonconformist influence on him.
From the ages of 21-23 Baxter was constantly sick and did not expect to live. He continued to labour with such sicknesses from time to time for the rest of his life. Meanwhile he had a growing desire to enter the ministry of the Church of England and in 1638 became master of the free grammar school in Dudley for nine months, having been ordained and licensed by the Bishop of Worcester.
He then went to Bridgnorth, where, as curate to a Mr Madstard, he established a reputation for conscientiousness. He was at Bridgnorth nearly two years, during which time he took a special interest in the controversy relating to nonconformity. He soon became alienated from the Church on several matters and after the requirement of what is called "the etcetera oath" in 1640, he rejected episcopacy in its English form and became a moderate Nonconformist, which he remained. Generally regarded as a Presbyterian, he was an unconventional one, often prepared to accept a modified Episcopalianism. He regarded all forms of church government as subservient to the true purposes of religion.
Kidderminster
One of the first measures of the Long Parliament was to reform the clergy. They appointed a committee to receive complaints and among the complainants were the inhabitants of Kidderminster whose minister was a drunkard who preached only once every three months! Moves were made that led to Baxter being invited to deliver a sermon before the people and his unanimous election as minister followed in 1641. He was 26.
Some 15 months after this his ministry was interrupted for five years due to the Civil Wars. While loyal to the Royalists, Baxter had spoken in favour of the Parliamentarians and so he moved first to Gloucester then (1643-1645) to Coventry, where he preached regularly both to the garrison and citizens. After the Battle of Naseby he became chaplain to Colonel Edward Whalley's regiment, and continued as chaplain until February 1647. During these stormy years he wrote his Aphorisms of Justification, which on its appearance in 1649 excited great controversy.
Baxter attempted to counteract the growth of the sectaries in the Parliamentary Army and maintain the cause of constitutional government in opposition to the republican tendencies of the time. He regretted that he had not previously accepted Cromwell's offer to become chaplain, being confident in his power of persuasion under the most difficult circumstances. His success in converting the soldiery to his views was in fact limited but he preserved his own consistency and fidelity. He did not hesitate to urge what he saw to be true on the most powerful officers, any more than he hesitated to instruct the camp followers.
In 1647, Baxter languished for five months at death's door at the home of Lady Rouse. It was at this time that he wrote most of his famous work, The Saints' Everlasting Rest (1650). On his recovery, he returned to Kidderminster, where he ministered for the next 14 years. During that time he accomplished many reforms in the town and its neighbourhood. He formed the ministers of the area into an association, uniting them irrespective of ecclesiastical differences. He visited all 800 families in the parish every year, teaching each person individually. His Reformed Pastor, a book describing his pastoral approach became a classic and is still read and admired today. The outstanding feature of his preaching was his earnest zeal. In his writing and preaching he shows his belief that pastors need “the skill necessary to make plain the truth, to convince the hearers, to let in the irresistible light into their consciences, and to keep it there, and drive all home; to screw truth into their minds and work Christ into their affections.”
He was eager to give glory to God for his great success and pointed to factors such as his youthful vigour, his singleness, his moving voice, his diligent assistants, his long service, the town's size, the fact they had not been exposed to an awakening ministry before and the fact that as the people were mostly carpet weavers they were able to read the books he gave them at the loom.
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