30 LIFE OF RICHARD BAXTER. His first stationwas at Dudley, in Worcestershire, where, by the interest ofa friend with the patron, he had obtained a place, as master of .a free school, with an usher. This situation accorded with his wishes ; for it gave him opportunity to preach in destitute places, and at the same time relieved him of the responsibility of a pastoral charge, which he felt unwilling to sustain at the com- mencement of'his ministry.` In this place he soon found himself compelled to enter on the examination of the great controversy of those times: He found that many private Christians in that neighborhood were non-con- formists ; one of them residedunder the same roofwith him. The dispute took so strong a hold on the religious community around him, that he soon resolved on a serious and impartial investigation. The result of his inquiries at that time is worth stating, as it shows what were the disputed questions of the day. In regard to episcopacyhe had then no difficulty'; for he had not, atthat time, noticed the difference between arguments for an epis- copacy in the abstract, and arguments for the particular diocesan episcopacy which existed in England. On the question of kneel- ing at the Lord's supper, he was fully satisfied that conformity was lawful. In regard to the surplice, he doubted; he would not wear it unless compelled to on pain of expulsion from the ministry: and the fact was he never wore it in his life. Respecting the ring in marriage, he had no scruple.. The cross in baptism he thought unlawful, though he felt some doubt respecting it; and therefore he never used it. . A form ofprayer, he considered in itself law- ful; and he thought such a form might be prescribed by public au- thority ; and though he regarded the English liturgy as objectionable on account of its "disorder and defectiveness," his conclusion was, that it might, be used, in the ordinary public worship, by, such as had no liberty to do better. The want of discipline in the church was in his view a great evil ; though he "did not then understand that the very frame of diocesan prelacy excluded it," but supposed that the bishopsmight have remedied that evil if they would. The subscription required before ordination he nowbegan to disapprove ; and he blamed himself for having yielded to that claim. So, from this time, he became, as he says, a non-conformist to these three things " subscription, and the cross in baptism, and the promiscu- ous giving ofthe Lord's supper to all drunkards, swearers, fornica- tors, scorners at godliness, etc., that are not excommunicated by a bishop or chancellor that is out of their acquaintance." Still he was far from acting with the more zealous and thorough non-con- formists. He often debated the matter with them ; for he regarded the disposition which some of them had to forsake and renounce the established church, as it serious and threatening evil. He labored
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