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at Baxter's insinuations of his Popish leanings, in the third part of his book on 'Universal Concord,' where Baxter comments severely on his views of schism. "There is lately," he says,

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come out of Ireland, a young ordained student of Trinity College, Dublin, to propagate this and such-like doctrines in London. To which end he hath lately written a large and wordy volume, as if it were only against the Nonconformists; which being new, and the most audacious and confident attempt that ever I knew made against the reformed churches by one that saith himself he is no Papist, and being the most elaborate enforcement of the Papists' grand argument, on which of late they build their cause, I think it needful not to pass it by." q

Dodwell's offence at being thus classed with Papists, induced Baxter, at last, to publish a correspondence which had formerly taken place between them, in 'An Answer to Mr. Dodwell, confuting an Universal Human Church Supremacy, Aristocratical and Monarchical, as Church Tyranny and Popery.' 1681.4to. With this he conjoined, 'An Account of his Dissent from Dr. Sherlock, his Doctrine, Accusations, and Argumentation.' With this he also unites his dissent from the French, from Bishop Gunning, and his chaplain, Dr. Saywell, Mr. Thorndike, Bishop Bramhall, Bishop Sparrow, &c.

Dodwell replied to Baxter's Pretended Confutation of his former work; with Three Letters formerly written to him, by Mr. Baxter, in 1673, concerning the Possibility of Discipline under a Diocesan Government.' 1681. To which Baxter rejoined, in his Answer to Mr. Dodwell's Letter, calling for more Answers.' 1682. 4to. He calls Dodwell's system, "Leviathan; or, Absolute Destructive Prelacy, the son of Abaddon, Apollyon, and not of Jesus Christ."

To enter minutely into the subject of these volumes now, would answer no valuable purpose. It is partly personal, partly relating to the Nonconformist controversy, and partly to those

¶ Universal Concord,' part iii. p. 74. Archbishop Tillotson said of Dodwell and Baxter," that they were much alike in their tempers and opinions in one respect, though they were widely opposed to each other in their tenets; both of them loved to abound in their own sense; could by no means be brought off their own apprehensious and thoughts, but would have them to be the rule and standard for all other men."-Birch's Life of Tillotson, p. 401. The Life of Dodwell, by Brokesby, gives some account of his controversy with Baxter, and affords a singular illustration of the extent to which a man may possess learning without judgment, and piety without discernment. He bad the literature of a Scaliger in the head of a child. He protested, however, against being considered a friend to Popery,

popish views which were held by the class of persons referred to. There is no proper halting place between high-church principles and those of Rome. A system identifying man's authority with God's, laying claim to apostolic authority, and connecting God's salvation with the ministry of man, modified in whatever way, is essentially popish and anti-Christian in its character and claims. The parties holding it may be more or less entitled to respect as men of learning or of piety, but resistance of their doctrines is binding on all who value the principles of our common Protestantism and our common Christianity.

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Of a similar nature to the works just mentioned, is another production of our indefatigable author, Against Revolt to a Foreign Jurisdiction, which would be to England its Perjury, Church ruin, and Slavery.' 1691. 8vo. This work, though much of it had been written long before, was not published, as appears from its date, till near the end of his life. He dedicates it to his reverend and desired friend,' Dr. John Tillotson, then dean of St. Paul's, whom he earnestly entreats to present it to the next convocation, to induce it, if possible, to make a public renunciation of a foreign jurisdiction, and to discountenance the books which were written in its favour. It is not probable that Tillotson complied with this request. Some of the historical information contained in the work, of the attempts which had been made, at various times, to bring England under the jurisdiction of Rome, is curious, and clearly shows that the fears and jealousies of Baxter and his friends, were not without cause. It may be considered as Baxter's final answer to Peirce, Heylin, Bramhall, Hammond, Sparrow, Parker, Dodwell, Thorndike, Sherlock, &c., and furnishes a key to many of the differences, both civil and religious, which had occurred in the kingdom. There is one chapter where he gives a summary view of the attempts to introduce, at least, a species of episcopal Popery and arbitrary government into this country, from the time of Elizabeth, of the successful resistance it experienced, and of the final result; which I should have been glad to quote, had my limits permitted. It begins at page 332.

'The Protestant Religion Truly Stated and Justified,' is a

Much of the correspondence between Dodwell and Baxter was friendly, and a great deal still remains unpublished. There is one letter from Dodwell to Baxter still preserved among the MSS. of the latter, in twenty closely-written folio pages, full of the learning for which Dodwell was distinguished.

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posthumous publication, which appeared shortly after his death, with a preface by Dr. Williams and Mr. Sylvester, though the work had been given to the printer by Baxter himself finished, before they saw it. This may be regarded as Baxter's legacy on the subject of Popery. It is a small 12mo volume; but contains, in fifty-two short sections, a summary of the whole controversy, in answer to a work which had appeared a short time before his death, entitled 'The Touchstone of the Reformed Gospel.' At the conclusion there is a singular prayer, which I quote, as probably the last Baxter wrote for the press.

"From the serpent's seed, and his deceiving subtle lies; from Cain and his successors, and the malignant, blood-thirsty enemies of Abel's faithful acceptable worship; from such a worldly-and-fleshly sacred generation as take gain for godliness, make their worldly carnal interest the standard of their religion, and their proud domination to pass for the kingdom of Christ; from an usurping vice-Christ, whose ambition is so boundless, as to extend to the prophetical, priestly, and kingly headship, over all the earth, even to the antipodes, and to that which is proper to God himself, and our Redeemer; from a leprous sect, which condemneth the far greatest part of all Christ's church on earth, and separateth from them, calling itself the whole and only church; from that church which decreeth destruction, to all that renounce not all human sense, by believing that bread is not bread, nor that wine is wine, but Christ's very flesh and blood, who now hath properly no flesh and blood, but a spiritual body—that decreeth the excommunication, deposition, and damnation, of all princes who will not exterminate all such, and absolveth their subjects from their oaths of allegiance; from that beast whose mark is per, perjury, perfidiousness, and persecution, and that thinketh it doeth God acceptable service, by killing his servants, or tormenting them; from that religion which feedeth on Christ's flesh, by sacrificing those that he calleth his flesh and bones; from the infernal dragon, the father of lies, malice, and murder, and all his ministers and kingdom of darkness-Good Lord make haste to deliver thy flock, confirm their faith, hope, patience; and their joyful desire of the great, true, final, glorious deliverance. Amen, Amen, Amen!"

I have compressed within as narrow limits as possible the account of Baxter's writings on the Popish controversy; yet the

reader will perceive even from this imperfect review, how deeply he entered into the subject. He left no one point in the extensive field it embraces untouched; and has supplied among his various works a complete library on Popery. Much extraneous matter is indeed to be found, and many topics are laboured with tiresome prolixity; but this would not be felt at the time they were written so much as now. The subject was then deeply interesting; the fates of religion and of the kingdom trembled on the success or failure of the opposition to the Roman faith; so that all who felt for the happiness of men, and the liberty of their country, would read with avidity whatever was written in their defence.

It required no small measure of courage to occupy a prominent place on the Protestant side of this controversy, especially during the latter years of Charles II. and the reign of James. The principles of the court, and the leanings of the high-church clergy, were all in favour of Rome; so that every man who opposed it, was marked as an enemy, and would certainly have been selected as a victim on the re-establishment of papal authority in England. Such a foe as Baxter, however, was not to be deterred by the apprehension of future danger. He had fully counted the cost when he entered the field; and should he have fallen in it while fighting in his Master's cause, he would have regarded it as a distinguished honour.

The writings of Baxter alone, show how unjust is the reproach that has sometimes been thrown on Protestant dissenters; that when the interests of Protestantism were exposed to imminent danger, they stood aloof, allowing the champions of the church of England to fight all its battles. The leading Nonconformists all took part in this controversy with Rome, as far as could be expected from men in their circumstances. But it would be unreasonable to look for the same efforts from persons deprived of their means of living, often separated from books, destitute of the means of procuring them, as from persons who were in possession of the dignified leisure and profusion of assistance, afforded by a wealthy establishment. But even under all these disadvantages, none of the dignified clergy wrote so voluminously, and few of them wrote so well on this subject, as Richard Baxter.

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CHAPTER IX.

WORKS ON ANTINOMIANISM.

The Nature of Antinomianism-Its Appearance at the Reformation—Originated in Popery-Origin in England-The Sentiments of Crisp-Baxter's early Hostility to it-The chief Subject of his Confession of Faith '-Dr. Fowler-Baxter's Holiness, the Design of Christianity'—' Appeal to the Light' Treatise of Justifying Righteousness'-Publication of Crisp's Works-Controversy which ensued-Baxter's' Scripture Gospel Defended' -The Influence of his Writings and Preaching on Antinomianism-Leading Errors of the System.

AN inspired apostle, speaking of the law of God, declares that "it is holy, just, and good." It is a manifestation of the moral purity of the divine character, a statement of the relations which subsist between God and his creatures, with a view of the equitable claims to homage and obedience which those relations imply. While its every requirement breathes the perfect benevolence of its Author, the whole tends to promote the happiness of those who obey it.

Antinomianism is enmity to this law; hatred of its purity, opposition to its justice, or suspicion of its benevolence. In this naked form of the matter, it is scarcely probable that there is under the profession of religion, a single Antinomian in the world. The sanity of that individual would be justly questionable who should maintain principles so incompatible with the common sense of mankind, and obviously subversive of the moral order of the universe.

The fact, however, is undoubted, that many persons have adopted views of the religion of Christ which virtually imply a renunciation of regard to the divine law, and tend to the entire subversion of its authority. If in their own practice there is not a violation of its precepts, they are careful it should be understood that their conduct is not indebted to the law for

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