the week, what they had been taught on the sabbath. The man who would have been lost in the crowd, or who might have sheltered himself under the exceptions which belong to a general address, was singled out, convicted, and shut up to the faith, or left to bear the stings of an instructed and alarmed conscience. The young were interested, and led on; the wavering were admonished, and established; the strong were taught to minister to the weak; and the prayers of many a holy band, at once, strengthened the hands of their minister, and "girded each other for the race divine." This was truly making full proof of his ministry, and promoting in his congregation the grand objects and aims of the fellowship of Christianity.

When we thus connect the public talents, and private character of Baxter; the energy and point of his pulpit addresses with the assiduousness, the perseverance, and the variety, of his other labors; his devotion to God, his disinterested love to men; what he was as a pastor, with all that he was as a preacher; we cease to wonder at the effects which he produced. No place could long resist such a train and style of aggression. All people must feel the force of such a moral warfare as that which he waged. There are few individuals, who could escape without being wounded, or conquered, by such an assailant. În comparison with him, how few are there even among the faithful ministers of Christ, who can think of themselves, or their labors with satisfaction! Yet, was there nothing in Baxter, but what the grace and power of God can do for others. There was something in his exertions, almost super-human; yet he seemed to accomplish all with a considerable degree of ease and comfort to himself. He never seems to have been bustled, but he was always busy; and thus he found time for all he had to do, while he employed that time in the most profitable manner. We have only to find an increase of such ministers in the church of Christ, and who will employ the same kind of means, in order to the accomplishment, in any place, of effects that will not shrink from. a comparison with Kidderminster itself in all its glory.

The effects of Baxter's labors, in Kidderminster, were lasting, as well as extensive. He frequently refers to his beloved flock, long after he had left them, in terms of the warmest affection. Many of them continued to adorn the doctrine of God, their Saviour, till they finished their mortal course; and, doubtless, now constitute their pastor's crown of rejoicing in the presence of their Redeemer. Nor did the effects of his exertions expire with that generation. Mr. Fawcett, who abridged the 'Saint's Rest,' in 1759, says, "that the religious spirit thus happily introduced by Baxter, is yet to be traced, in the town and neighborhood in some degree." He represents the professors of that (i) Preface.

i

place, as "possessing an unusual degree of candor, and friendship, for each other." Thus evincing, "that Kidderminster had not totally lost the amiable spirit it had imbibed more than a century before."j

When the Gospel was removed from the Church, it was carried to the Meeting; though at what time a separate congregation was regularly established, cannot now be satisfactorily ascertained. Baxter was not friendly to an entire separation from the church, and carried his opposition to it so far, as seriously to offend some of his old congregation, who could not endure the teaching of his successors. A separation accordingly took place, which laid the foundation of a large dissenting congregation.

On Baxter's removal from Kidderminster, he recommended to the people to be guided by Mr. Serjeant, then minister of Stone, who had formerly assisted him; and Mr. Thomas Baldwin, who had acted as schoolmaster in Kidderminster, and was both a good scholar and possessed of respectable ministerial qualifications. Mr. Baldwin was minister of the parish of Chaddesly till the Bartholomew ejectment: he then removed to Kidderminster, and settled with the Nonconformists who left the church. His ministry was repeatedly interrupted; but he died in Kidderminster, in 1693. After his death, Mr. White, the vicar of the parish, preached and published his funeral sermon; in which he speaks in the highest terms of his piety, his talents, and his moderation. He was, in all respects, worthy to be the successor of Baxter. The sermon is honorable alike to the preacher and to the deceased.k

He was succeeded by Mr. Francis Spilsbury, son of the Rev. John Spilsbury, the ejected minister of Bromsgrove, and nephew to Dr. Hall, Bishop of Bristol. He was ordained in the year 1693, and after a useful ministry of thirty-four years, died in 1727. His uncle, the Bishop, who was also Master of Pembroke College, Oxford, and Margaret Professor, used to visit him, and reside in his family, where he was attended by his clergy, while his nephew preached in the meeting. He was succeeded by the Rev. Matthew Bradshaw, who married his daughter. He was a man of similar sentiments and spirit, and labored in the congregation till the year 1745, when he was succeeded by Benjamin Fawcett, a favorite pupil of Dr. Doddridge, and who abridged several of Baxter's works. His death took place in 1780. After that event a division occurred, which led to the erection of another meeting, of which the Rev. Robert

(j) Dedication.

(k) Life, part iii. p. 92; Noncon. Mem. iii. pp. 389, 390; White's Sermon.

(1) Many particulars respecting these parties may be seen in Mr. Hanbury's "Enlarged Diary, &c.. of Mr. Joseph Williams, of Kidderminster." See also, "Orton's Letters to Dissenting Ministers;" in the second volume of which there is a short memoir of Mr. Fawcett.

Gentleman, who edited Orton's Exposition of the Old Testament, became the first minister.

In the original congregation, Mr. Barrett became the successor of Fawcett; he was a man of respectable talents. He was followed by Mr. Steill, now of Wigan, in Lancashire; on whose removal, Mr. Thomas Helmore, educated at Gosport, was ordained to the pastoral office in 1810. He was followed by Mr. Joseph John Freeman, now a missionary in Madagascar; whose place has been supplied by Dr. James Ross, formerly a missionary at Karass, in Russian Tartary.m

CHAPTER VI. 1648-1660.

The Commonwealth-Cromwell's treatment of his Parliaments-The Triers-Committee of Fundamentals-Principles on which Baxter acted towards Cromwell-Preaches before him-Interviews with him-Admission of the Benefits of Cromwell's GovernmentCharacter of Cromwell-Remarks on that character-Richard's Succession and Retirement-The Restoration-Baxter goes to London-Preaches before Parliament-Preaches before the Lord Mayor-The King's Arrival in London-Reception by the London Ministers-Notices of various labors of Baxter during his second residence in KidderminsterNumerous works written during this period-Extensive Correspondence-Concluding Observations.

HAVING, in the preceding chapter, given a full view of the manner in which Baxter acted in his ministerial capacity, during the period of his second residence in Kidderminster, comprehending fourteen years of the most active and interesting period of his life, we shall now collect some of his views respecting the political events and characters of the Commonwealth, and notice certain parts of his conduct in relation to the parties in power.

To give a full detail of the rapidly-shifting scenes which then passed along the stage, or of the principles and conduct of all the actors, is impracticable; but a view of the times of Baxter would be imperfect, without some notice of them; I can only make a selection, and that selection shall be chiefly in Baxter's own words.

His former connexion with the army of the Commonwealth, had furnished him with opportunities of knowing the characters of not a few of the leading men, in many respects favorable to

(m) The pulpit in which Baxter preached is still preserved. About forty years ago it was sold, together with the pewing of the parish church, for a trifling sum. A gentleman, anxious to preserve it from destruction, bought it from the first purchaser for five pounds, and placed it in the vestry of the new meeting. It is rather a handsome production of its kind. It is of an octagon form. The pannels have long carved flowers on them, which are painted different colors, and some of the gilding still remains. There is a large sounding-board surmounted by a crown upon a cushion. Around the top is inscribed, "And call upon his name, declare his works among the people." (Psalm cv.) It was not built for Baxter, but appears to have been the gift of Alice Dawkx, in the year 1621.

his forming a correct judgment of their characters, and of the principles by which they were actuated; while his conscientious fidelity led him to speak, both to them and of them, so plainly as to leave no ambiguity whatever as to the estimate which he formed.

Every thing relative to Oliver Cromwell still possesses considerable interest; and as Baxter has said a good deal respecting him, it would be unjustifiable in these memoirs, to omit the substance of the information which he has furnished. The following account quite harmonises with other documents which record the transactions of the times. Having given a narrative of the final defeat of the royal army, of the flight of Charles II. to France, and of the policy pursued towards Scotland, he thus describes the measures of the crafty Protector, in the treatment of his parliaments.

"Cromwell having thus far seemed to be a servant to the parliament, and to work for his masters, the Rump, or Commonwealth, did next begin to show whom he served, and take that impediment also out of the way. To this end, he first did by them as he did by the Presbyterians, make them odious by hard speeches against them throughout his army; as if they intended to perpetuate themselves, and would not be accountable for the money of the Commonwealth, &c. He also treated privately with many of them, to appoint a time when they would dissolve themselves, so that another free parliament might be chosen. But they perceived the danger, and were rather for filling up their number by new elections, which he was utterly against.

"His greatest advantage to strengthen himself against them by the sectaries, was their owning the public ministry and its maintenance; for though Vane and his party set themselves to make the ministers odious, and to take them down by reproachful titles, still the greater part of the House did carry it for a sober ministry and competent maintenance. When the Quakers and others openly reproached the ministry, and the soldiers favored them, I drew up a petition for the ministry, got many thousand hands to it in Worcestershire, and Mr. Thomas Foley and Colonel John Bridges presented it. The House gave it a kind and promising answer, which increased the sectaries' displeasure against the House. When a certain Quaker wrote a reviling censure of this petition, I wrote a defence of it, and caused one of them to be given to each parliament-man at the door; but within one day after this, they were dissolved. For Cromwell, impatient of any more delay, suddenly took Harrison and some soldiers with him, as if God had impelled him, and,

(1) These were published under the title of "The Worcestershire Petition,' and the 'Defence of it;' an account of which will be found in another place.

as in a rapture, went into the House and reproved the members for their faults. Pointing to Vane, he called him a juggler; and to Henry Martin, called him a whoremaster; m and having two such to instance in, took it for granted that they were all unfit to continue in the government of the Commonwealth, and out he turned them. So ended the government of the Rump. No sort of people expressed any great offence that they were cast out, though almost all, save the sectaries and the army, did take him to be a traitor who did it.

"The young Commonwealth being already headless, you might think that nothing was left to stand between Cromwell and the crown. For a governor there must be, and who should be thought fitter? But yet there was another pageant to be played, which had a double end: first, to make the necessity of his government undeniable: and, secondly, to put his own soldiers, at last, out of love with democracy; or, at least, to make those hateful who adhered to it. A parliament must be called, but the ungodly people are not to be trusted with the choice; therefore the soldiers, as more religious, must be the choosers; and two out of a county are chosen by the officers, upon the advice of their sectarian friends in the country. This was called in contempt, the Little Parliament.n

"Harrison became the head of the sectaries, and Cromwell now began to design the heading of a soberer party, who were for learning and a ministry; but yet to be the equal protector of all. Hereupon, in the little sectarian parliament, it was put to the vote, whether all the parish ministers in England should at once be put down; and it was but accidentally carried in the negative by two voices.". It was taken for granted that the

(m) A very curious account of this facetious, but, I fear, profligate commoner, is given in 'Aubrey's Miscellanies;' vol. ii. pp. 434-437. A sarcasm of Charles the First, upon Martin, is there alleged to have cost the king the loss of the county of Berks. He was one of the king's judges, and is said to have owed his life to the wit of Lord Faulkland, and his own profligacy. "Gentlemen," said his Lordship, "you talk of making a sacrifice. By the old law, all sacrifices were required to be without spot or blemish; and now you are going to make this old rotten rascal a sacrifice!" The joke took, and saved Henry's life.

(n) One of the best and fullest views which we have of Cromwell's parliaments has been recently published in 'Burton's Diary,' edited by Mr. Towill Rutt. It shows us more of the working of the Protector's system than any former publication had done. Certainly, some of the members were not the best qualified of all men to be legislators, if we may judge from many of their opinions and expressions, as they here appear. They meddled with various matters, which they had much better have let alone; though it is clear that even Old Noll, with all his power and sternness, could not make them do what he pleased. Scobell's acts of these parliaments shows, however, that some of their enactments were both wise and salutary.

(o) This statement is incorrect: no such question as the abolition of the ministry having been discussed in that parliament. On the 15th of July, 1653, the question was proposed whether the maintenance of ministers by tithes should be continued after the third day of November next: and the question being put, that that question be now put, it passed in the negative. The noes 68, yeas 43."-Journals of the House of Commons. This, I have no doubt, is the affair to which Baxter refers. The reader will easily distinguish between the abolition of tithes, and the abolition of the