Baxters Narrative of His Life and Times, Part 2 · Section 10 · Letter 11
The Answer. Nov. 30. from Acton, near London.
Reverend and much honoured Brother,
THough our Sins have separated us from the People of our Love and Care, and deprived us of all publick Liberty of preaching the Gospel of our Lord, I greatly rejoice in the Liberty, Help and Success which Christ hath so long vouchsafed you in his Work. There is no Man on Earth, whose Work I think more Honourable and Comfortable than yours: To propagate the Gospel and Kingdom of Christ, unto those dark Parts of the World, is a better Work than our hating and devouring one another. There are many here that would be ambitious of being your Fellow-Labourers, but that they are informed, you have access to no greater a Number of the Indians, than you your self, and your present Assistants are able to instruct. An honourable Gentleman (Mr. Rob. Boyle, the Governor of the Corporation for your Work, a Man of great Learning and Worth, and of a very publick universal Mind) did Motion to me a publick Collection, in all our Churches, for the maintaining of such Ministers, as are willing to go hence to you, partly while they are learning the Indian Language, and partly while they after labour in the Work, as also to transport them: But I find those backward to it, that I have spoke to about it, partly suspecting it a Design of those that would be rid of them; (but if it would promote the Work of God, this Objection were too carnal to be regarded by good Men) partly fearing that when the Money is gathered, the Work may be frustrated by the alienation of it (but this I think they need not fear, so far as to hinder any); partly because they think there will be nothing considerable gathered; because the People that are unwillingly divorced from their Teachers, will give nothing to send them further from them, and those that are willingly separated from them, will give nothing to those that they no more respect: But specially because they think (on the aforesaid Grounds) that there is no work for them to do if they were with you. There are many here I conjecture, that would be glad to go any whither (to Persians, Tartarians, Indians, or any unbelieving Nation) to propagate the Gospel, if they thought they could be serviceable, but the Defect of their Languages is their great Discouragement: For the universal Character that you speak of, many have talked of it, and one hath printed his Essay, and his way is only by numeral Figures, making such and such Figures to stand for the Words of the same signification in all Tongues; but no body regards it. I shall communicate your Motion here about the Hebrew, but we are not of such large and publick Minds as you imagin; every one looks to his own Concernment, and some to the things of Christ that are near them, at their own Doors. But if there be one Timothy that naturally careth for the State of the Churches, we have no Man of a Multitude more likeminded, but all seek their own things; we had one Dury here, that hath above thirty Years laboured the reconciling of the Churches, but sew regarded him, and now he is glad to escape from us into other Countries. Good Men that are wholly devoted to God, and by long Experience are acquainted with the Interest of Christ, are ready to think all others should be like them, but there is no hope of bringing any more, than here, and there an experienced, holy, self-denying Person, to get so far above their personal Concernments, and narrowness of Mind, and so wholly to devote themselves to God. The Industry of the Jesuits and Fryars, and their Successes in Congo, Iapan, China, &c. shame us all, save you: But yet for their personal Labours in the Work of the Gospel, here are many that would be willing to lay out, where they have Liberty and a Call, though scarce any that will do more in furthering great and publick Works. I should be glad to learn from you, how far your Indian Tongue extendeth; how large or populous the Country is that useth it (if it be known); and whether it reach only to a few scattered Neighbours, who cannot themselves convey their Knowledge far, because of other Languages. We very much rejoice in your happy Work (the Translation of the Bible) and bless God that hath strengthened you to finish it. If any thing of mine may be honoured to contribute in the least measure to your blessed Work, I shall have great cause to be thankful to God, and wholly submit the Alteration and use of it to your Wisdom. Methinks the Assemblies Catechism should be next the holy Scriptures, most worthy of your Labours. The Lord prolong your Days, and prosper you.
As to your Case about God's Image and Likeness, 1. The Controversy de Nomine is of no great Moment: I know the Schoolmen make the two Words signifie two things: I think it's a groundless Conceit. But dere (call them what you will, Image or Likeness) it consisteth of three parts, or a Trinity in Unity. 1. The natural substantial Part. 2. The qualitative moral part. 3. The relative honorarary part. (I rather call them three Parts of God's Image, than three Images, though here also the Controversy de Nomine is small) 1. Man's high superanimal or rational Life in Unity, hath his Trinity of noble Faculties; an Intellect or Reason capable of knowing God, a free or self-determining Will, capable of adhearing to him, and an executive Power capable of serving him: That these Natural Essential Powers, are the Natural Part of God's Image, appears, Gen. 9. 6. where Man, as Man is supposed to have it; else the Murder of none but Saints is there forbidden: This no Man loseth. 2. Holiness, or the Spirit in Unity containeth, 1. The Wisdom of the Mind, which is the Knowledge of God. 2. The Rectitude of the Will, which is the Love of God. And 3. The Promptitude, Obedience and Fortitude of the Executive Power, in and for the Service of God; and this is the moral Part of God's Image. 3. God, having the only Aptitude by his three great Properties, Infinite POWER, WISDOM, and GOODNESS, and the only Right Iure Creationis [and since Redemptionis & Regenerationis] immediately stood related to Man, in the three great Relations contained expressively in the Name God; 1. Our absolute proprietary Owner or Lord. 2. Our Supreme Rector. 3. Our bountiful Benefactor, or Father, and End, all flowing from his Relation, of our most potent, wise, good CREATOR. Man is related to him, 1. As his own, to be wholly at his dispose. 2. As his Subject, to be wholly at his Government. 3. As his Beneficiary, or Child to love him with all the Heart. Now God hath given Man to bear his Image in these Relations, which is in Unity caled his Dominion over the bruit Creatures, And in Trinity containeth, 1. That we are their Owners, and they our own. 2. we are their Governors (according to their Capacities). 3. We are their Benefactors, and they have (and had more) dependance on us, and were made for us as their End, as we were immediately for God as our End. This part of God's Image is partly, not totally lost. The moral part is that which the Spirit restoreth: The Wisdom of the Mind, the Righteousness or Rectitude of the Will, and the Holiness and Obedience of the Life. If we had a right Scheme of Theology (which I never yet saw) Unity in Trinity would go through the whole Method: It's easy to follow it a little way, and to see how God's three grand Relations of Owner, Ruler, and Father or End and chief God, and the Correspondent Relations in Man, and the mutual Expressions go far in the great parts of Theology: But when we run it up to the Numerous and small Branches, our narrow Minds are lost in the search. But the Day is coming when all God's Works of Creation and Providence, and all his Truths shall be seen to us uno intuitu, as a most entire, perfect Frame. Pardon my too many words to you on this.
As for the divine Government by the Saints which you mention, I dare not expect such great Matters upon Earth, lest I encroach upon the Priviledge of Heaven, and tempt my own Affections downwards, and forget that our Kingdom is not of this World. Certainly if Christianity be the same thing now that it was at first, it is much unsuitable to a reigning State on Earth: Bearing the Cross, Persecution, Self-denial, &c. found something of another Nature. The Rich will rule in the World, and few rich Men will be Saints. He that surveyeth the present State of the Earth, and considereth that scarcely a sixth Part is Christian, and how small a Part of them are reformed, and how small a part of them have much of the Power of Godliness, will be ready to think that Christ hath called almost all his Chosen, and is ready to forsake the Earth, rather than that he intendeth us such blessed Days below as we desire. We shall have what we would, but not in this World. As hard as we think God dealeth with us, our King's Dominions are yet for the Power of Godliness, the Glory and Paradise of the Earth. Success tempted some here into reigning Expectations, and thence into sinful Actions and Attempts, and hardened them in all; but God hath done much already to confute them. Through Faith and Patience we must inherit the Promise. May I know Christ crucified on Earth, and Christ glorified in Heaven, I shall be happy. Dear Sir, the Lord be your Support and Strength: I rest
Your Weak Fellow-Servant, Richard Baxter.
§ 403. That you may the better understand these Letters, and many other such Passages, you must know that the great Reason why my self, and some of my Brethren were made the King's Chaplains (in Title) was, that the People might think that such Men as we were favoured and advanced, and consequently that all that were like us should be favoured, and so might think their Condition happy. And though we our selves made no doubt but that this was the use that was to be made of us, and that afterward we should be silenced with rest in time, yet we thought that it was not meet to deny their Offer. The People at London, who were near, judged as we did, and were not much deceived: But those in the Country that were further off, understood not how things went above. But especially those in France and in New-England who were yet more remote, were far more deceived by these Appearances, and the more ready to bless us in our present State, and almost wish it were their own: Insomuch that there grew on a sudden in New-England a great Inclination to Episcopal Government; For many of them saw the Inconveniencies of Separations, and how much their way did tend to Divisions, and they read my Books, and what I said against both the Souldiers and Schismaticks in England; and they thought that the Church-Government here would have been such as we were pleased with; so that these and many other Motives made them begin to think of a Conformity: Till at last Mr. Norton, with one Mr. Broadstreet, a Magistrate, came over and saw how things went, and those in New-England heard at last how we were all silenced and cast out: And then they began to remember again, that there is something beside Schism to be …eared, and that there lyeth as perilous an Extreme on the other side. But they have in their Synod past some such moderating Conclusions about Baptism and constant Synods, as have ended most of the Differences between them and the moderate Presbyterians.
§ 151. I am next to insert some Businesses of my own, which fell in at this same time. When I had refused a Bishoprick, I did it on such Reasons as offended not the Lord Chancellor; and therefore instead of it, I presumed to crave his Favour to restore me to preach to my People at Kidderminster again; from whence I had been cast out (when many hundreds of others were ejected) upon the Restoration of all them that had been sequestred. It was but a Vicaridge, and the Vicar was a poor unlearned, ignorant, silly Reader, that little understood what Christianity and the Articles of his Creed did signifie; but once a Quarter he said something, which he called a Sermon, which made him the Pity or Laughter of the People. This Man being unable to preach himself, kept always a Curate under him to preach: Before the Wars I had Preached there only as a Lecturer, and he was bound in a Bond of 500l. to pay me 60l. per An. and afterward he was sequestre… as is before sufficiently declared; my People were so dear to me, and I to them, that I would have been with them upon the lowest lawful Terms: Some laughed at me for refusing a Bishoprick, and petitioning to be a reading Vicar's Curate. But I had little Hopes of so good a Condition, at least for any considerable time.
§ 152. The Ruler of the Vicar, and all the Business there was, Sir Ralph Clare, an old Man, and an old Cou…tier, who carried it towards me all the time I was there with great Civility and Respect, and sent me a Purse of Money when I went away (but I refused it). But his Zeal against all that scrupled Ceremonies, or that would not preach for Prelacy, and Conformity, &c. was so much greater than his Respects to me, that he was the principal Cause of my Removal (though he has not owned it to this Day: I suppose he thought that when I was far enough off, he could so far rule the Town as to reduce the People to his way. But he little knew (nor others of that Temper) how firm conscientious Men are to the Matters of their everlasting Interest, and how little Mens Authority can do against the Authority of God, with those that are unfeignedly subject to him. Openly he seemed to be for my Return (at first) that he might not offend the People; and the Lord Chancellor seemed very forward in it; and all the Difficulty was, how to provide some other Place for the old Vicar (Mr. Dance) that he might be no loser by the Change: And it was so contrived, that all must seem forward in it, except the Vicar; the King himself must be engaged in it; the Lord Chancellor earnestly presseth it; Sir Ralph Clare is willing, and very desirous of it; and the Vicar is willing, if he may but be recompenced with as good a Place (from which I received but 90 l. per Annum heretofore): Either all desire it, or none desire it. But the Hindrance was, that among all the Livings and Prebendaries of England, there was none fit for the poor Vicar: A Prebend he must not have, because he was insufficient;This occasioned Mr. Durel after to say, how hardly I was persuaded to let go the Place. and yet he is still thought sufficient to be the Pastor of near 4000 Souls. The Lord Chancellor to make the Business certain, will engage himself for a valuable stipend to the Vicar, and his own Steward must be commanded to pay it him: What could be desired more? But the poor Vicar was to answer him, that this was no security to him; his Lordship might withhold that Stipend at his Pleasure, and then where was his Maintenance? give him but a legal Title of any thing of equal value, and he would resign (and the Patron was my sure and intimate Friend). But no such thing was to be had; and so Mr. Dance must keep his Place.
§ 153. Though I requested not any Preferment of them, but this, yet even for this, I resolved I would never be importunate: I only nominated it as the Favour which I desired, when there Offers in general invited me to ask more: and then I told them that if it were any way inconvenient to them, I would not request it of them. And at the very first I desired, that if they thought it best for the Vicar to keep his Place, I was willing to take the Lecture, which by his Bond was secured to me, and was still my Right; or if that were denied me, I would be his Curate while the King's Declaration stood in force. But none of these could be accepted, with Men that were so exceeding willing. In the end it appeared, that two Knights of the Country, Sir Ralph Clare, and Sir Iohn Packington, who were very great with Dr. Morley, newly made Bishop of Worcester, had made him believe, that my Interest was so great, and I could do so much with Ministers and People in that Country, that unless I would bind my self to promote their Cause and Party, I was not fit to be there: And this Bishop (being greatest of any Man with the Lord Chancellor) must obstruct my Return to my ancient Flock. At last Sir Ralph Clare did freely tell me, that if I would conform to the Orders and Ceremonies of the Church, and preach Conformity to the People, and labour to set them right, there was no Man in England so fit to be there; for no Man could more effectually do it: but if I would not, there was no Man so unfit for the place; for no Man could more hinder it.
§ 154. I desired it as the greatest favour of them, that if they intended not my being there, they would plainly tell me so, that I might trouble them and my self no more about it: But that was a favour too great to be expected: I had continual encouragement by Promises, till I was almost tired in waiting on them. At last, meeting Sir Ralph Clare in the Bishop's Chamber, I desired him before the Bishop to tell me to my face, if he had any thing against me, which might cause all this ado. He told me that I would give the Sacrament to none kneeling, and that of Eighteen hundred Communicants, there was not past Six hundred that were for me, and the rest were rather for the Vicar. I answerd, That I was very glad that these words fell out to be spoken in the Bishop's hearing. To the first Accusation, I told him, That he himself knew that I invited him to the Sacrament, and offered it him kneeling, and under my hand in that writing; and openly in his hearing in the Pulpit, I had promised and told both him and all the rest, that I never had, nor never would put any Man from the Sacrament on the account of kneeling, but leave every one to the Posture which they should choose: And that the reason why I never gave it to any kneeling, was, because all that came would sit or stand, and those that were for kneeling only followed him, who would not come, unless I would administer it to him and his Party on a day by themselves, when the rest were not present: and I had no mind to be the Author of such a Schism, and make as it were two Churches of one: But especially the consciousness of notorious Scandal, which they knew they must be accountable for, did make many kneelers stay away. And all this he could not deny. And as to the second Charge, there was a Witness ready to say as he: for the truth is, among good and bad, I knew but one Man in the Town against me; which was a Stranger newly come, one Canderton an Attorney, Steward to the Lord of Abergeveny (a Papist) who was Lord of the Mannor): and this one Man was the Prosecutor, and witnessed how many were against my Return. I craved of the Bishop that I might send by the next Post to know their Minds, and if that were so, I would take it for a favour to be kept from thence. When the People heard this at Kidderminster, in a days time they gathered the hands of Sixteen hundred of the Eighteen hundred Communicants, and the rest were such as were from home: And within four or five days I happened to find Sir Ralph Clare with the Bishop again, and shewed him the hands of Sixteen hundred Communicants, with an offer of more; if they might have time, all very earnest for my Return. Sir Ralph was silenced as to that point: but he and the Bishop appeared so much the more against my Return.
§ 155. The Letter which the Lord Chancellour (upon his own offer) wrote for me to Sir Ralph Clare, he gave at my request, unsealed: and so I took a Copy of it before I sent it away, as thinking the chief use would be to keep it, and compare it with their Dealings; and it was as followeth.