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THE REVEREND RICHARD BAXTER UNDER the CROSS (1662–1691) Under the Cross V1.Qxp:Richard Baxter Under the Cross 1 01 2009 18:07 Page 3 Under the Cross v1.qxp:Richard Baxter Under the Cross 1 01 2009 18:07 Page 1 THE REVEREND RICHARD BAXTER UNDER THE CROSS (1662–1691) Under the Cross v1.qxp:Richard Baxter Under the Cross 1 01 2009 18:07 Page 3 THE REVEREND RICHARD BAXTER UNDER THE CROSS (1662–1691) by FREDERICK J. POWICKE, M.A., Ph.D. Quinta Press Weston Rhyn 2009 Under the Cross v1.qxp:Richard Baxter Under the Cross 1 01 2009 18:07 Page 4 Quinta Press Meadow View, Weston Rhyn, Oswestry, Shropshire, England, SY10 7RN Visit our web-site: http://www.quintapress.com ISBN 1 897856 xx x First published Layout copyright Quinta Press © 2009 4 Under the Cross v1.qxp:Richard Baxter Under the Cross 1 01 2009 18:07 Page 5 FIRST PROOF READING DRAFT 5 THE REVEREND RICHARD BAXTER UNDER THE CROSS (1662–1691) Books by the Same author JOHN NORRIS OF BEMERTON HENRY BARROW, SEPARATIST THE CAMBRIDGE PLATONISTS, ETC. A LIFE OF THE REVEREND RICHARD BAXTER, 1615–1691 Under the Cross v1.qxp:Richard Baxter Under the Cross 1 01 2009 18:07 Page 6 6 RICHARD BAXTER UNDER THE CROSS (1662–1691) THE REVEREND RICHARD BAXTER UNDER THE CROSS (1662–1691) by FREDERICK J. POWICKE M.A., Ph.D. JONATHAN CAPE, LTD. THIRTY BEDFORD SQUARE LONDON FIRST PUBLISHED IN MCMXXVII MADE & PRINTED IN GREAT BRITAIN BY BUTLER & TANNER LTD FROME AND LONDON CONTENTS PART ONE 1 INTRODUCTORY, 1662–1669 . 15 1 AT MOORFIELDS, 1662–3 . 17 2 AT ACTON, 1663–9 . 20 2 1670–1673 . 39 1 TOTTERIDGE . 39 2 CORRESPONDENTS . 46 3 STUDENT AND WRITER . 60 4 BACK IN LONDON . 66 5 MRS BAXTER . 100 6 BAXTER’S POOR KINDRED AND WILLIAM BAXTER . 109 Under the Cross v1.qxp:Richard Baxter Under the Cross 1 01 2009 18:07 Page 7 FIRST PROOF READING DRAFT 7 7 1678–1685 . 128 1 THE POPISH PLOT . 128 2 A FIERY TIME . 132 3 ROGER L’ESTRANGE . 136 4 THE TRIAL . 143 5 BETWEEN TRIAL AND SENTENCE . 146 6 IMPRISONMENT AND RELEASE . 150 7 WORK IN PRISON . 159 8 CHARTERHOUSE YARD, 1687–91 . 164 PART TWO 1 BAXTER’S NONCONFORMIST PLEAS FOR PEACE . 185 2 THE IRRECONCILABLES . 199 1 SEPARATISTS . 199 2 PRELATISTS . 211 3 BAXTER’S CHURCHMANSHIP . 226 4 BAXTERIANISM . 233 5 AN APPRECIATION . 253 6 APPENDICES (1–11) . 267 1 THE ADENEY (OR ADNEY) DESCENT . 267 2 SIR MATTHEW HALE AND THE CAMBRIDGE BIBLE . 268 3 SUGGESTED CONFORMISTS’ PETITION FOR RELIEF OF NONCONFORMITY . 270 4 BAXTER’S ESTIMATE OF CHARLES II . 273 5 SUPPRESSED PASSAGE ABOUT MRS BAXTER . 275 6 ILLUSTRATION OF BAXTER’S CATHOLICITY . 277 7 BAXTER AND DR SHERLOCK . 282 8 BAXTER’S OWN ACCOUNT OF THE CAUSE OF HIS IMPRISONMENT (1685) . 285 9 DAVID WILLIAMS’S BILL OF CHARGES . 286 10 SYLVESTER’S DESCRIPTION OF BAXTER . 288 11 ARCHBISHOP TILLOTSON’S LETTER TO SYLVESTER. 291 INDEX OF PERSONS . 297 INDEX OF SUBJECTS . 308 Under the Cross v1.qxp:Richard Baxter Under the Cross 1 01 2009 18:07 Page 8 8 RICHARD BAXTER UNDER THE CROSS (1662–1691) 7 PREFACE HE first volume of this Life of Baxter left off at his marriage Tto Margaret Charlton (September 10, 1662), who bravely stepped out with him into the dark days which she knew were coming; and never bated one jot of heart or hope all the nine- teen years of their companionship. What she was in herself, and what she did for her husband, have not, I think, been sufficiently realized; and so it seems but right that an endeavour should be made to give her a due place in the story which follows. One of the best tributes to her character, and, in a less degree, to Baxter’s, may be found in the way she took charge of his poor relations; and, particularly, of his ‘Cousin’ William Baxter, who, thanks mainly to her generous care, was enabled to fashion a career of some distinction for himself. The facts of the case are recorded in a series of letters not hitherto made use of, even if known; and the chapter which narrates them will be felt to possess a considerable measure of human interest. But, of course, Baxter himself here, as in the first volume, is the central figure. He comes before us in his last thirty years as a striking example of the repressed life. Preaching and the Pastoral care of souls were for him, not merely a duty to which he was pledged by his ordination vows, but a passionate neces- sity—his meat and drink. Yet from 1661 he was doomed to silence. One must grasp this fact, and the agony of it, if one would appreciate the depth of conviction which drew him into the course that involved it. Had he been able to find the smallest loophole for his conscience, how gladly would he have remained in the Church! But he found none and had to stand outside. This is the all-important point to note. At the same time, though outside the Church, he was a Churchman still. He loved the Church infinitely more than did thousands of easy-going Conformists. Hence: (1) he conformed, as far as he could; (2) he did his utmost to persuade others to do likewise; (3) he welcomed every advance, from the side of the Church, Under the Cross v1.qxp:Richard Baxter Under the Cross 1 01 2009 18:07 Page 9 FIRST PROOF READING DRAFT 9 which even hinted at a desire for peace on terms of justice; (4) he never tired, meanwhile, of pressing for a recognition 8 of the really essential and Catholic truths, as the one sure ground of unity; (5) he deplored the persecuting Acts and the violent enforce- ment of them, not merely because of their gross injustice, and the suffering brought upon himself and, far more, upon hun- dreds of his brethren; but, especially, because the effect was to widen the breach and harden the Separatists in their irre- concilable attitude; (6) he resented, with intensified vehemence as time went on, the principles of the High Church party, as represented by the Bishops generally—principles which, to his mind, identified them with a persecuting policy; and rendered them in their own way as irreconcilable as the Separatists. These are among the points which it seemed well worth while to emphasise: for they were emphasised by Baxter himself; and the last, at least, is with us still as a live issue. But the spirit of Baxter, though often chafed to the utterance of strong and bitter words, was always ready and eager to meet both Prelatists and Separatists on the ground of his and their common Christianity, if ever he perceived an inclination to acknowledge it. And there is every reason why his spirit, in this respect, should still be allowed to have its way. There is, indeed, no other hope of a final agreement—even to differ. For the rest, attention may be drawn to the chapter on ‘Bax- terianism’ which, with the letters to and from Edward Fowler, seems to establish a considerable affinity with the Cambridge Platonists; and also, to the new material, furnished mostly by the Baxter MSS. which appears in the sections dealing with Baxter’s Trial, and the interval between his Trial and sentence, and the circumstances of his release, and his work during the time of his confinement, and his last days in Charterhouse Yard. However variously the intrinsic value of such material may be estimated, at any rate it may be said to impart a certain measure of completeness to the picture. Under the Cross v1.qxp:Richard Baxter Under the Cross 1 01 2009 18:07 Page 10 10 RICHARD BAXTER UNDER THE CROSS (1662–1691) Hardly a reference to it occurs in Sylvester. Calamy reports little more about Baxter’s last days beyond the preamble to his will. Orme repeats the silence of Calamy; and later writers have added little or nothing. All the same, I am acutely conscious of many remaining gaps; and of all I have had to 9 omit. I can only hope—and not a few recent signs of a revived interest in Baxter encourage me to hope—that some younger student, or students, will trace out my deficiencies and make them good. There is a mine of unsifted wealth in the Baxter MSS. and in Baxter’s own books, waiting to reward the diligent seeker. And perhaps the best reward will be found in the fact that, through Baxter, the great movements and personalities of the seventeenth century become wonderfully alive; and, still more, in the fact that contact with him means a perpetual renewal of moral and spiritual inspiration. Lastly, I want to say a word with regard to Matthew Sylvester, Baxter’s first biographer. In any strict sense the name does not apply to him. It is clear from Archbishop Tillotson’s answer (February 3, 1691–2) to his request for advice, that Syl- vester’s first intention was to carryon Baxter’s own story (which breaks off in January 1684–5) to the end, if not to write a consecutive life from the beginning. ‘I return you my thanks’ —says the Archbishop—‘for yours, and am glad to hear that you intend to write our Rev and beloved Baxter’s life. You do it not only, or chiefly, to satisfy some people’s curiosity, nor to honour him who will live in his works, but to give glory to God, and benefit those that shall read it, and therefore, Sir, I would not have you make too much haste in it (in which many will be pressing you), but take time enough to do it well’ … ‘and I doubt not but you will digest things under several heads, as concerning his piety, temperance, charity, preaching, writ- ings, reproaches, sufferings (insisting especially on that before my Lord Jeffreys), his patience, etc., and of his life in the several places where he resided.
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