A Christian Directory, Part 1: Christian Ethics — John Shaqi
A Christian Directory, Part 1: Christian EthicsBaxter, Richard
Religion
A Christian Directory, Part 1: Christian Ethics
Baxter, Richard
Casuistry; Christian sociology
must have been so confined,) while they could not discover their
compliance to be lawful.
The same author also falls in with Bishop Morley, in representing Mr.
Baxter as very perverse and disingenuous, by persisting in his denial
of a certain proposition, after it had been turned and altered several
ways. But had he thought fit to have considered what is suggested upon
that head in the abridgement of his Life, which he had so often
consulted, and quoted upon other occasions, he would have seen the
aspersion wiped off, which he so freely repeats: and whether in so
doing he has meted with the measure he would have used towards
himself, upon occasion, is left to his second thoughts.
When the king's Declaration came out, Mr. Baxter was offered the
bishopric of Hereford, and some of his brethren some other preferments
in the church; but he refused acceptance, because of the uncertainty
of the continuance of the terms of that Declaration, and so did
several others: and Mr. Calamy and he were, by a majority of three
voices, chosen by the city clergy to be their clerks in the
convocation; but were by the bishop of London excused from sitting
there. A continuance at Kidderminster was what he had most desired of
any thing; and he did all that he was able in order to it; but
Providence forced him another way.
While he was away from the town of Kidderminster, in great weakness,
more likely to die than live, after his great loss of blood, the people
renewed their articles against Mr. Danse, the old vicar, and his curate;
and the committee sequestered the place, and left the profits in the
hands of divers inhabitants to pay a preacher till it was disposed of.
Mr. Baxter, though pressed, would not accept the vicarage, but continued
to officiate among them as their minister. He would have taken no more
out of the profits of the living than the £60 per annum which the vicar
had before bound himself to pay him, but they made it £90. At length the
people fearing some one should get a grant of the sequestration from the
committee, went privately and got an order to settle Mr. Baxter in it;
but never showed it him, till King Charles came out of Scotland towards
Worcester, when they desired him to take and keep it, and save them
harmless by it, if they were called to repay what they had received and
disbursed. After this, the tithes were gathered in his name by some of
his neighbours: but he gave them orders, that if any refused to pay that
were poor, it should be forgiven them; but if they were able, what was
due should be sought for with the help of the magistrates with damage;
and that both his part and his damages should be given to the poor. When
this was known, none that were able would do the poor so great a
kindness as to refuse payment.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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