An accidental blog

"If God is sovereign, then his lordship must extend over all of life, and it cannot be restricted to the walls of the church or within the Christian orbit." Abraham Kuyper Common Grace 1.1.

Thursday 19 June 2014

British Calvinists: Richard Baxter (1615-1691)

Richard Baxter (1615-1691) was known as 'Scribbling Dick' because of his prodigious writings. He was born Rowton, Shropshire. When a teenager he was influenced by the works of William Perkins, Richard Sibbes and Edmund Bunny. 

In 1638 he became the master at the free gramme school in Dudley, here he was ordained by the bishop of Worcester, John Thornborough. The main part of his ministry took place in Kidderminster at St Mary and All Saint's Church. While at Kidderminster he wrote The Reformed Pastor. During the Civil War he left Kiddermister for Gloucester, but later returned to Kidderminster. While ill he wrote The Saint's Everlasting Rest (1650).


In 1662 he married and retired to Middlesex after being part of the Great Ejection bought about by the Act of Uniformity.

He was prolific writer and wrote over 140 books. He held to a view known as neo-nomianism, held in response to antinominaism.  

Many of his writings are available here: http://www.prdl.org/author_view.php?a_id=133





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