LIFE OF RICHARD BAXTER. 133 mously, some strictures on this supposed opinion of Baxter's. To these strictures Baxter replied in this work on SavingFaith. . 26. " Confirmation and Restauration, the necessary Means of Reformation and Reconciliation ; for the Healing of the Corrup- tions and Divisions of the Churches. Submissively, but earnestly tendered to the Consideration of theSovereign Powers, Magistrates, Ministers, and People, that they may awake, and be up and doing in the Execution ofso much as appeareth to be necessary ; as they are true to Christ, his Church and Gospel, and to their own and others' Souls, and to the Peace and Welfare of the Nations ; and as they will answer. the Neglect to Christ at their Peril." 12mo. published in 1658. AMr. Hanmer had written a work on con- firmation, urging the necessity of some solemn introductionof per- sons at adult age to the privileges .of church membership, and at his request, Baxter had prefixed to that work an Introductory Epistle. The inquiries which that publication occasioned, led Baxter to take up the subject again, and to discuss it more at large, presenting the testimonyof the Scriptures. The design of the book is simply to show that no person ought to be admitted to the privileges' of adult membership in any church, save on the pub- lic profession of his conversion and faith, and that of the satisfacto- riness of such profession- the pastor ought to be the judge. 27. "Directions and Persuasions to a Sound Conversion, forPre- vention ofthat Deceit and Damnation of Souls, andof those Scan- dals, Heresies, and :desperate Apostasies, that are Consequents of a counterfeit or superficial Change." 8vo. published in 1658. This was designed as a sequel to his " Call to the Unconverted." "Af- ter the Call, I thought," he says, "that, according to, Bishop Ush- er's method,' the next sort that I should write for is those that are under the work of conversion, because by half-conversions, multi- tudes prove deceived hypocrites. "* He appears to have val- ued this work more highly than the Call ; probably he bestowed more labor on it. Yet, owing, as he thought, to the bad manage- ment of the booksellers, it passed through only two or three editions. 28. " Five.Disputations of Church Government and.Worship." 4to, published in 1658. " Ipublishedthese," he says, " in order to the reconciliation of the differing parties. In the first I proved that the English -diocesan prelacy' is intolerable, which none hath answered. In the second, I have proved the validity of the ordi- nation then exercised without diocesans in England, which no man bath answered, though many have urged men to be re-ordained: In the third, I have proved that there are divers sorts of episcopacy *Narrative, Part I. p. 115:
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