216 LIFE OF RICHARD BAXTER. declaration, ,stronger than that on which Charles had ventured in 1672, offering the most unlimited religious liberty, and suspending all the laws 'against any sort of dissenters. Some of the ministers united in addresses of thanks for this liberty, but Baxter andmany of his brethren stood aloof, lest they should seem to approve so manifest an usurpation. None, however, scrupled to enjoy the libertywhile it lasted. Baxter, though in his seventy-second year, resumed once more his public labors, assisting his friend Mr. Syl- vester in the charge of a congregation. souryears and a half, he preached once every Lord's day; and once on every other Thurs- day. After his growing diseases haddisabled him from preaching, he was wont to open,his doors every morning and evening, for all that would worship with him in his family. He continued to write and publish after all his other labors were at an end. And here thecatalogue of his publications maybe brought down from the. year 1665* to the end. 53. " The Reasons of the Christian Religion. The First Part, of Godliness ; proving by natural Evidence the Being of God, the Necessity of Holiness, and a future Life of Retribution, &c. The Second Part, of Christianity; proving by Evidence, supernatural and natural, the.certain Truth ofthe Christian Belief, and answer- ing the Objections of Unbelievers." 4to. published in 1667. This is a systerifatic and elaborate work of six hundred pages. 54. " Directions for weak, distempered Christians, to grow up to a confirmed State of Grace ; with Motives opening the lamenta- ble Effects of their Weaknesses and Distempers." 8vo. 1668 55. "The Character of a sound confirmed Christian; as also of a weak Christian, and of a seeming Christian."' 8vo. published in 1669. 56.. " The Life of Faith ; in three Parts.". 4to. published in 1670. The first part of this work is his sermon formerly preached before the king, with large additions. The other two parts ,are instructions and directions on the same subject. The whole is a volume of more than five hundred pages. 57. " The Cure of Church Divisions." 8vo. published in 1671. 58. "Defense of the Principles of Love, which are necessary to the Unity and Concord of Christians, and are delivered in a Book calledThe Cure of Church Divisions. By RichardBaxter, one of the Mourners for a self-dividing and self-afflicting Land. 8vo. published in 1671. The Cure of Church Divisions was thought by many nonconformists to reflect unjustly on them and their cause; and on that account it was severely handled by some of them, and particularly by Edward Bagshaw, an Independent, See pp. 184, 186.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=