Baxter - Houston-Packer Collection BX5200 .B352 1835 v1

LIFE OF RICHARD BAXTER. 125 Answer to sixteen Queries, printed in abook called, ABrief Dis- covery of the Threefold 'Estate of Antichrist," etc. 4to. publish- ed in 1653. Of this book he says, " I knew not what kindof person he was that I wrote against, but it proved to be a Quaker, theybeing just now rising, and this being the first of their books, as far as I can remember, that I had ever seen." This Quaker, we are informed. by Orme, was none other than Fox, the father of that sect. 9. "True Christianity; or Christ's Absolute Dominion, and Man's Reçovery, Self -resignation, and Subjection, in two Assize Sermons." 4to. published in 1654. '" The'first," he says, "was preached before Judge Atkins,, Sir Thomas Rous being high sheriff; the second before Sergeant Glyn, who desiring me to print it, I thought meet to print the former with it." In the pref- ace to one of these sermons, he says to the " Christian reader," "1 l ve endeavored to show you, in both these sermons, that Christ might be preached without Antinomianism ; that terror may be preached, without unwarrantably preaching the law ; that the gospel is not a mere promise, and that the law is not so terrible as it is to the rebellious ; as also what that superstructure is, which is built on the foundation of general redemption rightly understood ; and how ill we can preach Christ's dominion in his universal pro- priety and sovereignty, without this foundation." Speaking of the style and structure of the work, he has this characteristic saying: " It is for the vulgar, .principally, that I publish it ; and I had rather it might be numbered with those books which are carried up and down the country from door to door in pedlars' packs, than with those that lie on booksellers' stalls, or are set up, in the libra- ries of learned divines." 10. "Richard Batter's Apology," etc. 4to. published in 1654. This work was designed as a replyto the strictures which had been published by different authors, on his Aphorisms of Justification. It was dedicated to his old military friend; "the Honorable Com- missary-General Whalley." The conclusion of this dedication deserves to be cited, on account of its beauty both of sentiment and expression; and those who are familiar with the subsequent history of the mail to whom this language was addressed, will read it with a superadded interest. "Your great warfare is not yet accomplished: the worms of corruption that breed in 'us will live, in somemeasure, till we die ourselves. Your conquest of yourself is yet imperfect. To fight with yourself, you will find the hardest but most necessary conflict that ever yet you were engaged in ; and to overcome yourself, the most honorable and gainful victory. Think nót tliát your greatest trials are all over. Prosperity bath its peculiar temptations, by

RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=