The Practical Works of the Rev. Richard Baxter, Vol. 13
Overview
As a lifelong preacher, Baxter wrote extensively on the role of the pastor and on the biblical and historical understanding of the term. Volume Fourteen of The Practical Works of the Rev. Richard Baxter contains The Reformed Pastor, one of the most influential writings on the subject in the period following the Reformation.
The Reformed Pastor is crafted as a how-to guide for pastoral leadership, and includes timeless wisdom for pastors, preachers, teachers, and other church leaders. Baxter explores the metaphor of the shepherd and the flock, and the work involved in the care of sheep—young, weak, and in need of guidance. He also writes at length about the activities of pastoral ministry, such as preaching, prayer, praise, providing instruction, and presiding over the sacraments.
The second part of Volume Fourteen contains Baxter’s writings on confirmation—a topic as hotly debated in the years following the Reformation as it is in churches today. He addresses the status of infants in the church, whether they should be baptized, and the role of children in church life with regard to participation in the sacraments and profession of faith. The process of becoming part of a church is not instant, but entails obligations, accountability, and—most importantly—careful discernment of the work of God and the responsibilities of the church.
- William Orme’s biography of Baxter
- Chronological index of Baxter’s works
Top Highlights
“God is to us, and to every creature, incomprehensible. If thou couldst fathom or measure him, and know his greatness by a comprehensive knowledge, he were not God. A creature can comprehend nothing but a creature. You may know God, but not comprehend him; as your foot treadeth on the earth, but doth not cover all the earth. The sea is not the sea, if you can hold it in a spoon.” (Page 29)
“more that he had to give. And if he be greater, he must be present” (Page 33)
…The most prominent English churchman of the 1600s.
—Christian History, a magazine affiliated with Christianity Today
…We must learn from the Puritan pastor Richard Baxter…to redouble our efforts to find strength from spiritual joy.
[Baxter’s] words have hands and feet. They climb all over you; they work their way into your heart and conscience, and will not be dislodged.
Look at Richard Baxter… what a flashing diamond was he! Even swearers on the ale-bench could not but know that he was a heaven-born spirit.
I was greatly refreshed to find what a sweet savor of good Mr. Baxter’s doctrine, works, and discipline remain to this day.
- Title: The Practical Works of the Rev. Richard Baxter, vol. 14
- Author: Richard Baxter
- Publisher: Paternoster
- Publication Date: 1830
- Pages: 594
Richard Baxter was born on November 12, 1615 in Shropshire, England. Although his childhood education was poor, he studied under John Owen between 1629 and 1632, and was converted at the influence of The Bruised Reed, by Richard Sibbes.
After his mother died, Baxter began to study theology, and studied with both John Owen and Francis Garbet. He was ordained in 1638 by John Thornborough and quickly established his reputation as a preacher and pastor. He became involved the Nonconformity Movement—a movement which resisted the governance of the Church of England, and he renounced his ordination.
In April, 1641, Baxter began his ministry at Kidderminster, which lasted nineteen years. In addition to his ministry as a preacher and pastor, Baxter initiated many social reforms which earned him a reputation among Presbyterians and Episcopalians as a theological uniter. He wrote The Reformed Pastor during his ministry in Kidderminster.
Baxter moved to Gloucester and Coventry in 1643 to avoid the Civil War, and became chaplain in the army. He returned to London in 1660 where he preached regularly and became politically influential. In 1685, he was sentenced to seven years in prison for his Paraphrase on the New Testament, a charge later rescinded by the government.
Baxter wrote prolifically throughout this lifetime. He is well known for his works on the Roman Catholic Church, his works on conversion, his 4-volume Christian Directory, and A Call to the Unconverted to Turn and Live. Baxter provoked theological controversy for his ecumenism—in stark contrast to the religious warfare of his time—and his rejection of limited atonement. He believed that repentance and obedience affect the outcome of salvation, and that right belief is intricately connected to Christian ethics. Baxter’s covenant theology also contributed to the rise of Puritanism.
Richard Baxter died on December 8, 1691. His last words were, “I have pain…but I have peace.”