Richard Baxter - Directions to Weak Christians (Pt. 1)
Channel: Old Path Audiobooks
Date: 2020-09-02

Among the well-known Puritans is Richard Baxter (1615-1691). Richard Baxter was born on November 12, 1615, in Rowton, Shropshire, England and died on December 8, 1691, in London. He was known as a peacemaker who sought unity among the “clashing” Protestant denominations, and was at the center of nearly every major controversy in England during his lifetime. He was first ordained into the Church of England in 1638 after studying divinity but was later persecuted for his views for more than 20 years. 

After a trial conducted with great brutality by Judge Jeffreys, he was imprisoned for 18 months on the charge of having libeled the Church of England in his Paraphrase of the New Testament, (1685). After his conversion, he began his ministry at Kidderminster in 1641. Such a town needed the Gospel. It was filled with whores, drunkards and the volatile. After his ministry there for nearly 20 years, the sound of psalm singing, praying and bible study echoed through the streets on the Lord’s Day from the houses previously filled with those were previously degenerated; the Lord had worked mightily among them converting many in the town. 

Of the Puritans there are many who stand out readily, there are a slew of divines that are a wealth of knowledge. However, though Richard Baxter was not a very good “theologian” (doing great injustices to the doctrine of the atonement and of justification) he is very well known for his work surrounding practical theology and pastoring. This earns him the right to be called a non-conformist, but not a good theological guide in systematic theology.

Source: The Practical Works of Richard Baxter, Selected Treatises (Hendrickson)