Peacemaker

Jesus prayed for our unity, so the world would know God's love and recognize Christ's coming to save sinners. It is tempting to think of times past as a Golden Age. But, the sad truth is that pride and division have attended the bride of Christ since the Day of Pentecost. Baxter’s England was troubled by fratricidal quarrels and divisions, which remain unhealed to this day.

In the midst of the wrangling and infighting stood Baxter, working tirelessly to bring reconciliation and cooperation to the factious whole. He wrote entire books on the subject of Christian unity, met with men, small and great, and proposed plan after plan to heal the major divisions within England's national church. He sacrificed so very much for Christ's body; time, money, friendship, and even his health. It is ironic then, that in these endeavors we often find Baxter at his very worst.

J.I. Packer reaches the sum in a few words: "Baxter was a big man, big enough to have big faults and make big errors." It seems that Baxter, as one of a generation which produced many "big" men, was ineffective among his peers.

Among his faults was speaking his mind, when silence would have accomplished more. His habit of "plain dealing" offended many more than Oliver Cromwell and Charles II, as if they were not enough. Baxter often alienated the very men who were sympathetic to his ideals and could have exercised great influence for peace and harmony. Baxter's sharp and undeserved criticism of John Owen, occupying thirty pages in his first published work, was perhaps his biggest blunder and one which would haunt him over and over in his quest for unity.

Dr. Owen was a fellow Puritan, committed to the reformation of the church and a supporter of the Parliamentarian cause. With his backing, Baxter's ideas for unity may have gotten a hearing. But, it seems that Owen and others were never able to get beyond their initial negative impression of Baxter's arrogance and rashness. Baxter excused himself years later:

I medled too forwardly with Dr. Owen... For I was young, and a stranger to men's tempers, and thought others could have born a Confutation as easily as I could do my self; and I thought that I was bound to do my best publickly, to save the World from the hurt of published Errours, and not to meddle with the Person that maintained them. But indeed I was then too raw to be a Writer... It cost me more than any other that I have written...

One of Baxter's many sayings, "Overdoing is the ordinary way of Undoing," was another bit of wisdom which he never really mastered. Baxter's overtures of peace more often than not, had the effect of "an olive branch discharged from a catapault."

But, what of Baxter's victories? He first took his practical ideas for unity to the ministers of London, but found no interest. It was a different story in his home county of Worcestershire.

Baxter shared his thoughts with those present at a weekly meeting of pastors in the Spring of 1652 and received overwhelming approval. The most pressing problem, which they addressed, was the separation of believers from the local congregations, because of the lack of discipline and admission of notorious sinners to worship and communion. They asked him to draw up articles of discipline, which the differing parties (Presbyterian, Baptist, Anglican, etc.) could agree upon:

after several Meetings we subscribed them, and so associated for our mutual help and concord in our Work. The ministers that thus associated were for Number, Parts and Piety, the most considerable part of all that County, and some out of some neighboring Counties that were near us...Those that did not come near us, nor concur with us, were all the weaker sort of Ministers, whose Sufficiency or conversation was questioned by others, and knew they were of little esteem among them, and were neither able or willing to exercise any Discipline on their Flocks.

The Worcestershire Association met once monthly. The pastors dined together and held a "disputation" of a topic or question, which had been previously determined. If there were matters of discipline, they would be discussed and settled. The meetings were so productive and informative that pastors from other counties often attended just to observe. When the association met at Kidderminster, members stayed to hear Baxter's weekly lecture at St. Mary's chapel in the afternoon and then met at his small home until his neighbors arrived for their evening prayer meeting.

This reformation among ministers increased and the prospects for unity spread until Cromwell's death in 1658. Then, a series of events followed which dissolved these associations and the country was shattered into more divisions than ever.

Baxter's hopes were shattered as well. In 1664 he lamented the state of Christ's body in England, after the dividers came to power:

The poor Church of Christ, the sober, sound religious Part, are like Christ that was crucified between two Malefactors; the prophane and formal Persecutors on one hand, and the Fanatick dividing Sectary on the other hand, have in all Ages been grinding the spiritual Seed, as the Corn is ground between the Milstones: And though their sins have ruined themselves and us, and silenced so many hundred Ministers, and scattered the Flocks and made us the Hatred and the Scorn of the ungodly World, and a by Word and Desolation in the Earth; yet there are few of them that lament their Sin , but Justify themselves and their Misdoings, and the penitent Malefactor is yet unknown to us.

Baxter had no patience for those who, out of pride, continued to upset the body of Christ. But, had he not played a part in all of this, as well? He answers himself:

I must mention it by way of penitent Confession, that I am too much inclined to such words in Controversial Writings which are too keen, and apt to provoke the Person whom I wrote against...And I have a strong natural inclination to speak of every Subject just as it is, and to call a Spade a Spade...I repent of it, and wish all over-sharp passages were expunged from my Writings, and desire forgiveness of God and Man...I mention all these Distempers, that my Faults may be a warning to others to take heed, as they call on my self for Repentance and Watchfulness. O Lord, for the Merits and Sacrifice and Intercession of Christ, be merciful to me a sinner, and forgive my known and unknown Sins.

Paul warned the believers in Corinth that the sin of Israel and God's judgment were recorded in Scripture for their instruction, so they would not "try the Lord" in the same way, but turn from their sin. Richard Baxter, in his autobiography, has done the same for you and I. He was truly a big man with big faults and we must guard ourselves against those same shortcomings. On the other hand, his example of humility and sorrow for sin is one worthy of our imitation.