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Autobiography of Richard Baxter
Autobiography of Richard Baxter, Chaplain to Charles II of England
- GenresBiography
314 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1974
About the author
Richard Baxter
552 books111 followersRichard Baxter (1615-1691) was an English Puritan church leader, poet, hymn-writer, theologian, and controversialist. Dean Stanley called him "the chief of English Protestant Schoolmen". After some false starts, he made his reputation by his ministry at Kidderminster, and at around the same time began a long and prolific career as theological writer. After the Restoration he refused preferment, while retaining a non-separatist presbyterian approach, and became one of the most influential leaders of the nonconformists, spending time in prison.
Librarian Note: There is more than one author by this name in the Goodreads database.
Librarian Note: There is more than one author by this name in the Goodreads database.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
March 24, 2026
Baxter, Richard. The Autobiography of Richard Baxter. Ed. N. H. Keeble.
Introduction
This is a much-needed abridgement of Richard Baxter’s longer Reliquae. N. H. Keeble does a fine job condensing Baxter’s material. As a result, we have a moving narrative. Baxter might not have been a polished writer (and in some sections it is not always clear what his position was), but his life contains drama and intrigue (which he usually did not want). Keeble’s editorial oversight allows Baxter’s own story to be told.
Early Life
Baxter was sick for much of his life. As a result, he was largely self-taught, noting the influence of the scholastics upon his thinking. This encouraged him to have a “method” in theology. In practical terms, this meant having the structure of a catechism continually in one’s mind. If Baxter erred elsewhere in theology, his comments here are correct. A good catechism shows how one’s theology “fits at the joints.”
Army
Baxter supported the Parliamentarians because the Royalists were a problem. Even apart from Cromwell’s later actions, Baxter had no love for him from the start. It appears the feeling was mutual. His time as a chaplain, however, showed him the danger of Independency divorced from sound theology. His experience with Antinomian preachers likely shaped his doctrine of justification.
Cromwell
The narrative takes a somber turn with Cromwell. Although Baxter generally supported the Parliamentarians, he had no illusions about Cromwell. Baxter firmly disagreed with the execution of Charles I. While he saw Cromwell as something of a tyrant, he was shrewd enough to realize that Cromwell was a remarkably competent tyrant, unlike Charles I.
Restoration
The Restoration put the Nonconformists, particularly the non-Independents, in a bind. Charles II would be a disaster, although they probably did not realize how bad he would be. Until then, Baxter had another burden: church unity. I do not know how realistic Baxter expected this to be. The idea is interesting, nonetheless, and Baxter proposed the following:
1) The magistrate takes religious coercion into his own hands. I do not think Baxter advocated Erastianism. He is simply upholding the Reformed doctrine of “circa sacra.” Moreover, this removes power from the bishops.
2) Any church that confesses the Creed, the Lord’s Prayer, and the Decalogue is a tolerated church. I am not sure how Baxter could exclude Roman Catholicism on this ground.
3) Churches that are Reformed will be given more preference.
As idealistic and naive as Baxter seems, something like this came into being, minus the Reformed part, with William of Orange.
Primitive Episcopacy
Although a Presbyterian, Baxter thought of the model found in the early church, where the presbyter is the bishop who presides over the Eucharist. As it stands, this still sounds like Presbyterianism, so it is not clear exactly how Baxter’s position is anything new. Baxter saw his position as similar to that of Archbishop Ussher (62).
On the other hand, Baxter’s modified Episcopalianism might have saved Charles’ life. Charles could have kept bishops without giving them so much power. Of course, this is all speculation. Stuart monarchs would have never hamstrung the bishops, as the bishops’ power was correlative to theirs. Moreover, Cromwell’s Independents likely thought bishops of any kind should not exist.
The End of His Life
Baxter’s narrative after the Great Ejection of 1662 would make for a good novel. It is filled with intrigue, danger, prison, and if not romance, at least marriage.
Conclusion
This is a fine edition of Baxter’s autobiography. Keeble has included a superb index at the end.
Introduction
This is a much-needed abridgement of Richard Baxter’s longer Reliquae. N. H. Keeble does a fine job condensing Baxter’s material. As a result, we have a moving narrative. Baxter might not have been a polished writer (and in some sections it is not always clear what his position was), but his life contains drama and intrigue (which he usually did not want). Keeble’s editorial oversight allows Baxter’s own story to be told.
Early Life
Baxter was sick for much of his life. As a result, he was largely self-taught, noting the influence of the scholastics upon his thinking. This encouraged him to have a “method” in theology. In practical terms, this meant having the structure of a catechism continually in one’s mind. If Baxter erred elsewhere in theology, his comments here are correct. A good catechism shows how one’s theology “fits at the joints.”
Army
Baxter supported the Parliamentarians because the Royalists were a problem. Even apart from Cromwell’s later actions, Baxter had no love for him from the start. It appears the feeling was mutual. His time as a chaplain, however, showed him the danger of Independency divorced from sound theology. His experience with Antinomian preachers likely shaped his doctrine of justification.
Cromwell
The narrative takes a somber turn with Cromwell. Although Baxter generally supported the Parliamentarians, he had no illusions about Cromwell. Baxter firmly disagreed with the execution of Charles I. While he saw Cromwell as something of a tyrant, he was shrewd enough to realize that Cromwell was a remarkably competent tyrant, unlike Charles I.
Restoration
The Restoration put the Nonconformists, particularly the non-Independents, in a bind. Charles II would be a disaster, although they probably did not realize how bad he would be. Until then, Baxter had another burden: church unity. I do not know how realistic Baxter expected this to be. The idea is interesting, nonetheless, and Baxter proposed the following:
1) The magistrate takes religious coercion into his own hands. I do not think Baxter advocated Erastianism. He is simply upholding the Reformed doctrine of “circa sacra.” Moreover, this removes power from the bishops.
2) Any church that confesses the Creed, the Lord’s Prayer, and the Decalogue is a tolerated church. I am not sure how Baxter could exclude Roman Catholicism on this ground.
3) Churches that are Reformed will be given more preference.
As idealistic and naive as Baxter seems, something like this came into being, minus the Reformed part, with William of Orange.
Primitive Episcopacy
Although a Presbyterian, Baxter thought of the model found in the early church, where the presbyter is the bishop who presides over the Eucharist. As it stands, this still sounds like Presbyterianism, so it is not clear exactly how Baxter’s position is anything new. Baxter saw his position as similar to that of Archbishop Ussher (62).
On the other hand, Baxter’s modified Episcopalianism might have saved Charles’ life. Charles could have kept bishops without giving them so much power. Of course, this is all speculation. Stuart monarchs would have never hamstrung the bishops, as the bishops’ power was correlative to theirs. Moreover, Cromwell’s Independents likely thought bishops of any kind should not exist.
The End of His Life
Baxter’s narrative after the Great Ejection of 1662 would make for a good novel. It is filled with intrigue, danger, prison, and if not romance, at least marriage.
Conclusion
This is a fine edition of Baxter’s autobiography. Keeble has included a superb index at the end.
December 26, 2020
Baxter, Richard. Autobiography, republished and abridged by Christian Focus, 1998, 166 pages.
The best 25% of the original autobiography with a few pages from other contemporary accounts. Excellent. I would like to read the full autobiography having read this abridged edition.
The best 25% of the original autobiography with a few pages from other contemporary accounts. Excellent. I would like to read the full autobiography having read this abridged edition.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews