Baxter - Houston-Packer Collection BX5200 .B352 1835 v1

LIFE OF RICHARD BAXTER. 135 33. "A Key for the Catholics, to open the Juggling ofthe Jes- uits, and satisfy all that are but truly willing to understand, whether the cause of the Romanor Reformed Churches is of God." 4to. published in 1659. "Those that were not prejudiced against this book," he says, "have let meknow that it bathnotbeen without suc- cess ; it being indeed a sufficient armory for to furnish a Protest- ant to defend his religion against all the assaults of the Papists whatsoever; and teacheth him how to answer all their books. The second part doth briefly deal with the. French . and Grotian party, that are for the supremacy of a council, at least as to the le- gislative power; and showeth that we never had ageneral council, nor can it be at all expected." 34. " Holy Commonwealth ; or, Political Aphorisms : opening the true Principles of Government ; forthe Healing of the Mistakes, and resolving theDoubts, that most endanger and trouble ENGLAND at this Time ; and directing the Desires of sober Christians, that long to see the Kingdoms of this World become the Kingdoms of the Lord and of his Christ." 8vo. published in 1659. This work was publishedat amoment of peculiar interest. Oliver Crom- well had gone from this throne to the grave. Richard had suc- ceeded to the protectorate without any apparent opposition ; but his hand was trio feeble to hold the iron scepter wtsich his father had swayed with sogreat ability. The leaders ofthe army were making arrangements to regain the power which they considered theirs by right ofconquest ; and the republican politicians, whom the protec- tor had so disappointed and baffled, were again beginning to hope for the speedy consummationof their-schemes. Another man, in suchcircumstances, might have waited to see which way the tide would turn, before venturing on any political discussion. But Baxter rarely acted with any reference to personal expediency ; and at this very juncture, even when Richard Cromwell had already, abdicated, he came out with a book, in the former part of whichhe pleaded for a monarchical formof government, and in theconclusion of which he eloquently defended the warof parliament against the usurpations of Charles. Thus he equally displeased the republi- cans, on the one hand, and the royalists on the other. But let us hear his own account of the book, and of the occasion on which it was written. "The book which bath furnished my enemies with matter of re- viling which none must dare to answer, is my ' Holy Common- wealth.' The occasionof it was this ; when our pretorian sectarian bands had cut all bonds, pulleddown all government, and, after the * Narrative, Part I. p. 118.

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