Baxter, Richard

Richard Baxter was an English Puritan church leader, divine scholar and controversialist.

1615 - Born 12th of November at Rowton, in Shropshire.

1629-1632 - Studied master of the free school at Wroxeter and made fair progress in Latin.

1638 - Became master of the free grammar school at Dudley and commenced his ministry, having been ordained.

1641 - Invited to deliver a sermon before the people, and was unanimously elected as the minister.

1643-1645 - Moved to Gloucester, and afterwards settled in Coventry, where he preached regularly both to the garrison and the citizens.

1647 - Staying at the home of Lady Rouse of Rouse-Lench in much physical weakness. 1650 - Wrote a great part of his famous work, The Saints' Everlasting Rest.

1662 - Marriage on 24th of September with Margaret Charlton.

1660-1669 - Helped to bring about that event, settled in London and preached there.

       - He had been made a king's chaplain, and was offered the bishopric of Hereford, but he could not accept the offer.

1685-1685 - Committed to the King's Bench prison on the ridiculous charge of libeling the Church in his Paraphrase on the New Testament.

1673-1675 - Baxter theology was set forth most elaborately in his Latin Methodus theologia Chriatiana the Christian Directory (1673) contains the practical part of his system; and Catholic Theology is an English exposition.

1687 - Disturbed by persecution and retired to Acton in Middlesex, for the purpose of quiet study, but was placed in prison for keeping a conventicle. Baxter procured a habeas corpus in the court of common pleas.

1691 - Richard Baxter died 8th of December in London, and churchmen as well as dissenters attended his funeral.