Volume Five of The Practical Works of the Rev. Richard Baxter contains the third part of A Christian Directory, which covers what Baxter calls “Christian Ecclesiastics.”
In this volume, Baxter writes about meaningful worship and the right end of worship. He also articulates the connection between covenant theology and corporate worship, including baptism and profession of faith and the communal affirmation entailed in both. "Worship", says Baxter, "helps us keep our obligations toward one another."
The role of pastors endured an identity crisis in the years following the Reformation, as Protestants attempted to understand the relationship between ministers and their congregants apart from the authority of Rome. Baxter writes at length about ecclesiastical authority, the history of the episcopacy, the duty of individuals toward their pastors, and the ministerial office itself. Baxter also attempts to address the central issues faced by Protestant ministers: Do individuals need to be re-baptized? How do Protestants define and relate to the communion of saints? Should ministers be re-ordained? How do Protestants define church authority? What should the future relationship between Protestants and Catholics look like? This practical guide navigates through difficult ecclesiological issues which have lingered in the centuries following Baxter’s original writing.
