and might defend the land under their conduct without owning all their cause. And herein I was then so zealous, that I thought it was a great sin for men that were able to defend their country, to be neuters. And I have been tempted since to think that I was a more competent judge upon the place, when all things were before our eyes, than I am in the review of those days and actions so many years after, when distance disadvantageth the apprehension." It is evident from these statements, that Baxter was a decided friend to the parliamentary cause. The reasons which influenced his judgment were those which probably guided the determination of the great body of persons who espoused that side, in the momentous controversy which then divided the country. Many of those who were incapable of judging in the numerous political questions and altercations, which the grand subject involved, were well enough qualified to form an opinion respecting the substantial merits of the difference between the king and the people. The love of religion, and the desire of liberty, were the great inspiring principles. The resistance which they met with only increased their vigor, and thus insured their success. Though they were guilty of occasional evils, and produced temporary confusion, the great objects which they contemplated were never lost sight of, and the result of the struggle was in a high degree glorious. We have already glanced at the trouble Baxter experienced at Kidderminster, from the ignorant rabble, which disliked his preaching and his strictness. Towards the end of 1642, the heat of the parties became so great that he was exposed to considerable danger. The king's declarations were read in the market-place, and a country gentleman, who officiated on the occasion, stopped at sight of Baxter, and called out "There goes a traitor.' The commission of array was set on foot, which increased the rage of the rioters. "Down with the round-heads," became the watch-word; and knocking down every person whose hair was short and his dress respectable immediately followed. In consequence of these things, Baxter was advised to withdraw for a short time from the scene of his labors. The county of Worcester was devoted to the king; so that no one who was known to be for the parliament could then be of service. CHAPTER III. 1642-1646. Baxter goes to Gloucester-Returns to Kidderminster-Visits Alcester-Battle of Edghiff— Residence in Coventry-Battle of Naseby-State of the Parliamentary Army-Consults the Ministers about going into it-Becomes Chaplain to Colonel Whalley's regiment-Opinions of the Soldiers-Disputes with them-Battle of Langport-Wicked Report of an Occurrence at this place-The Army retires to Bridgewater and Bristol-Becomes ill-Various Occurrences in the Army-Chief Impediments to his Success in it-Cromwell-HarrisonBerry-Advised by the Ministers to continue in it-Gees to London on account of his Health-Joins the Army in Worcestershire-Attacked with violent Bleeding-Leaves the Army-Entertained by Lady Rous-Remarks on his Views of the Army, and conduct in it. THE immediate cause of Baxter's withdrawment from Kidderminster was a violent attack on his life, and on that of the church-warden, by a mob, excited by a parliamentary order for defacing images of the Trinity in churches, and removing crucifixes; to which they considered Baxter a party, though the execution of the order had not been attempted. This brutal outrage shows the ignorant and degraded state of the people. On leaving Kidderminster, he went to Gloucester, where he found the people civil and religious, as different from those of the former place as if they had lived under another government. Here he remained for a month, during which many political pamphlets were published on both sides. Here, also, he first witnessed the contentions between the ministers and the Baptists, and other sects, which then frequently took place in the country. A public arena was chosen; judges, or moderators, were appointed; champions on each side bade defiance: while the public were called to witness the religious tournament, and to applaud the victor. Truth was generally claimed by both parties; but if the justice of the cause depended on the spirit and weapons of the champions, in most instances she would have disclaimed both. About a dozen young men, in Gloucester, of considerable parts, had been re-baptised, and labored, as was very natural, to draw others after them. The minister of the place, Mr. Winnel, being hot and impatient, excited rather than calmed them. He wrote a book against them, which produced little effect on the Baptists, and led the people of the country to blame him for his violence and asperity. This was the commencement, Baxter says, of much evil at Gloucester. When he had remained in it about a month, his friends at Kidderminster wished him to return, which he accordingly did; but, after continuing a short time, he found the state of matters so little improved, the fury of the rabble and of the king's soldiers being still great, that he was under the necessity of withdrawing again. The war was now in active operation in that part of the country; the main army of the king, commanded by Prince Rupert, and that of the parliament, under the Earl of Essex, occupying the county of Worcester. After noticing some petty skirmishes, he gives the following account of the battle of Edghill, and his subsequent proceedings: "Upon the Lord's day, October 23, 1642, I preached at Alcester for my reverend friend, Mr. Samuel Clark. As I was preaching, the people heard the cannon play, and perceived that the armies were engaged. When the sermon was done, in the afternoon, the report was more audible, which made us all long to hear of the success. About sun-setting, many troops fled through the town, and told us that all was lost on the parliament's side; and that the carriages were taken, and the waggons plundered, before they came away. The townsmen sent a messenger to Stratford-on-avon, to know the truth. About four o'clock in the morning he returned, and told us that Prince Rupert wholly routed the left wing of the Earl of Essex's army; but while his men were plundering the waggons, the main body and the right wing routed the rest of the king's army; took his standard, but lost it again; killed General, the Earl of Lindsay, and took his son prisoner: that few persons of quality, on the side of the parliament, were lost, and no nobleman but Lord St. John, eldest son to the Earl of Bolingbroke: that the loss of the left wing happened through the treachery of Sir Faithful Fortescue, major to Lord Fielding's regiment of horse, who turned to the king when he should have charged: and that the victory was obtained principally by Colonel Hollis's regiment of London red-coats, and the Earl of Essex's own regiment and life guard, where Sir Philip Stapleton, Sir Arthur Haselrigge, and Colonel Urrey, did much. "Next morning, being desirous to see the field, I went to Edghill, and found the Earl of Essex, with the remaining part of his army, keeping the ground, and the kings army facing them upon the hill about a mile off. There were about a thousand dead bodies in the field between them; and many I suppose were buried before. Neither of the armies moving towards each other, the king's army presently drew off towards Banbury, and then to Oxford. The Earl of Essex's went back to provide for the wounded, and refresh themselves at Warwick Castle, belonging to Lord Brook." "For myself, I knew not what course to take. To live at home, I was uneasy; but especially now, when soldiers on one side or other would be frequently among us, and we must still be at the mercy of every furious beast that would make a prey of us. I had neither money nor friends: I knew not who would (w) Baxter's account of this battle is substantially the same with Clarendon's, though the latter endeavors to show that the victory was rather on the side of the king than of the parliament. The consequences which followed, however, aftord convincing proof that the advantages were on the side of the parliament. receive me in any place of safety; nor had I any thing to satisfy them for my diet and entertainment. Hereupon I was persuaded, by one that was with me, to go to Coventry, where an old acquaintance, Mr. Simon King, was minister; so thither I went, with a purpose to stay there till one side or other had got the victory, and the war was ended: for so wise in matters of war was I, and all the country beside, that we commonly supposed that a very few days or weeks, by one other battle, would end the wars. Here I stayed at Mr. King's a month; but the war was then as far from being likely to end as before. "While I was thinking what course to take in this necessity, the committee and governor of the city desired me to stay with them, and lodge in the governor's house, and preach to the soldiers. The offer suited well with my necessities; but I resolved that I would not be chaplain to a regiment, nor take a commission: yet, if the mere preaching of a sermon once or twice a week to the garrison would satisfy them, I would accept of the offer, till I could go home again. Here, accordingly, I lived in the governor's house, followed my studies as quietly as in a time of peace, for about a year; preaching once a week to the soldiers, and once, on the Lord's day, to the people; taking nothing from either but my diet." x At the end of this period, the war, so far from being terminated, had spread almost over the whole country. In most of the counties there were garrisons and troops belonging to both parties, which caused conflicts in every quarter. There were few parishes in which blood, at some time or other, was not shed; so general and determined was the hostility of the parties to each other. Baxter removed from Coventry to Shropshire for about two months; during which time, he was near some of the skirmishes which then almost daily took place. Having got his father relieved from prison at Lillshull, he returned to Coventry, and spent another year in his old employment, studying the Scriptures and preaching to the army. In his audience in this place, he mentions that there were many godly and judicious persons. Among these were, Sir Richard Skeffington, Colonel Godfrey Bosville, Mr. Mackworth, and Mr. George Abbot, known by his Paraphrase on the Book of Job. There were also about thirty worthy ministers, who had fled to Coventry for safety, from the soldiers and popular fury, though they never meddled in the wars: Mr. Richard Vines, Mr. Anthony Burgess, Mr. Burdal, Mr. Brumskill, Dr. Bryan, Dr. Grew, Mr. Stephens, Mr. Cradock, Mr. Morton of Bewdley, Mr. Diamond, old Mr. Over ton, and many more. (x) Life, part i. pp. 43, 44. At Coventry, Baxter, took the covenant himself, and gave it to another, of which he afterwards bitterly repented. He also publicly defended it against a production of Sir Francis Nethersole's. He then supposed that it was only intended as a test for garrisons and soldiers, and did not anticipate that it would afterwards be made a test for the magistracy and ministry throughout the land; though he acknowledges he might have foreseen this, had he attended to its tenor. Here, also, he openly decared himself for the parliament; for which, in his 'Penitent Confessions,' he assigns thirty-two reasons; with which it is unnecessary here to trouble the reader. "The garrison of Coventry," he says, "consisted half of citizens, and half of countrymen. The latter were such as had been forced from their own dwellings, and were the most religious men of the parts round about. One or two persons who came among us from New England, of Sir Henry Vane's party, and one anabaptist tailor, had almost troubled all the garrison, by infecting the honest soldiers with their opinions. But they found not the success in Coventry which they had done in Cromwell's army. In public I was fain to preach over all the controversies against the Anabaptists first, and then against the separatists. In private, some of my Worcester neighbors, and many of the foot soldiers, were able to baffle both separatists, Anabaptists, and Antinomians, and so kept all the garrison sound. On this, the Anabaptists sent to Bedford, for one Benjamin Cox, an old minister of their persuasion, and no contemptible scholar, the son of a bishop; and he and I had first a dispute by word of mouth, and afterwards in writing. In conclusion, about a dozen poor townsmen were carried away; but the soldiers, and the rest of the city, were kept sound from all infection of sectaries and dividers." z Mr. Cox, was desired to depart the first time; but coming down again and refusing to leave the city, the committee imprisoned him. Some ascribed this to Baxter; but he declares that instead of using his influence to put him in, he employed it to get him out. Be this as it may, a Baptist church was then planted in Coventry, which has subsisted ever since. Imprisoning heretics will never check or destroy heresy; and preaching controversies, is not the most useful method either of converting unbelievers or establishing saints. The detail which Baxter gives in his own life of the subsequent progress of the civil war, which so long fearfully distracted the country, is too extended and minute to admit of being fully inserted in this place. Many of the scenes which he notices, are better described by others who witnessed them, (y) Penitent Confessions, p. 23. |