Richard Baxter: Puritan Pastor And Theologian.pdf

Key points include:

- Puritan Beliefs: Baxter held strong beliefs in individual religious judgment, personal responsibility, and the necessity of individual righteousness, typical of Puritan theology.
- Ministry: He served as a minister in Kidderminster, focusing on soul care and uplift.
- Church Views: Baxter was deeply impressed by continuity in the Church but opposed both Presbyterianism (due to its potential for priestly dominance) and the English Church's episcopal structure.
- Ideal Church Government: He advocated for a Primitive Episcopacy with a bishop in every parish, organized on Presbyterian lines, emphasizing discipline as the foundation.
- Historical Context: The author notes the failure of past attempts to impose uniform church governance and worship in England, attributing this to both Protestantism's "fissiparous" nature and Christianity's inherent tendency to challenge authority.
- Baxter's Failure: Despite his puritan soul and valiant efforts, Baxter could not create a universally acceptable form of church government or worship. He became a nonconformist, fighting against the Church of England's supremacy.
- Post-Savoy Conference: Following his defeat in the Savoy Conference, Baxter endured humiliation and suffering but remained a committed Christian.
- Nonconformity: In 1662, with the "Act of Uniformity," Puritanism became Nonconformity when the Church of England shut its doors to dissenters.