A Holy Commonwealth

by Richard Baxter, William Lamont (Editor)

A Holy Commonwealth was written in 1659 by the Puritan minister Richard Baxter (1615-91), and is a candid confession as to why a conservative Puritan fought for Parliament in the Civil War and gave his support to the Cromwells. Baxter publicly repudiated the work in 1670, and in 1683 the Oxford University authorities ordered it to be part of a book-burning that included the works of Hobbes and Milton. This modern edition makes available the work's unique perspective on the relation between Church and magistrate and the origins of the English Civil War.

Genres: Politics

292 pages, Paperback

First published April 28, 1994

About the author

Richard Baxter (1615-1691) was an English Puritan church leader, poet, hymn-writer, theologian, and controversialist. Dean Stanley called him "the chief of English Protestant Schoolmen". After some false starts, he made his reputation by his ministry at Kidderminster, and at around the same time began a long and prolific career as theological writer. After the Restoration he refused preferment, while retaining a non-separatist presbyterian approach, and became one of the most influential leaders of the nonconformists, spending time in prison.

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Reviews

[Josh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Let’s be honest: reading 17th century divines engaging in political polemics is painful. If you can wade through it, though, this book does make for an interesting read as the theological and constitutional justification by one’s Protestant pastor for his service in Parliament’s army. And though it formed only a small part of the book, the meditations at the end, after Baxter realizes that circumstances have defeated his hopes for a “holy commonwealth“ before he can even finish writing the book, are rich food for the soul.

[Sean Wilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Baxter reasons from first principles (the existence and nature of God, the nature of man, etc) all the way up to the necessity of a Christian civil order, as well as several practical and prudential questions about how it might work.