Richard Baxter & the English Puritans Issue 89 | 2006 Purchase this issue

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The Old English Puritan was such an one, that honored God above all, and under God gave every one his due.

His first care was to serve God… making the word of God the rule of his worship. He highly esteemed order in the House of God: but would not under color of that submit to superstitious rites, which are superfluous, and perish in their use…

He was much in prayer; with it he began and closed the day… He esteemed that manner of prayer best, where by the gift of God, expressions were varied according to present wants and occasions; yet did he not account set forms unlawful… He did not wholly reject the liturgy, but the corruption of it.

He esteemed reading of the word an ordinance of God both in private and public but did not account reading to be preaching… He accounted preaching as necessary now as in the Primitive Church, God's pleasure being still by the foolishness of preaching to save those that believe. He esteemed the preaching best wherein was most of God, least of man, when vain flourishes of wit and words were declined, and the demonstration of God's Spirit and power studied He esteemed those sermons best that came closest to the conscience: yet would he have men's consciences awakened, not their persons disgraced. He was a man of good spiritual appetite, and could not be contented with one meal a day. An afternoon sermon did relish as well to him as one in the morning…

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The sacrament of baptism he received in infancy which he looked back to in age to answer his engagements, and claim his privileges. The Lord's Supper he accounted part of his soul's food: to which he labored to keep an appetite…

Right discipline he judged pertaining not to the being, but to the ...