B A X 



356 



B A X 



Itantzcn 



L.ixltr. 



1722, by Bauman, the commander of the Dutch 

 vessel Tienhoven, who sailed round the world in com- 

 pany with Roggewain. The inhabitants, who are 

 very numerous, are white, and are armed with bows 

 and arrows. They are represented as friendly to 

 strangers, and of a gentle and humane disposition. 

 W. Long. 173, S. Lat. IS?. (/) 



BAUTZEN. See BdWMOSN. 



BAY of Islands, a bay on the east coast of 

 New Zealand, remarkable for the number of islands 

 which embroider its shores. It affords good ancho- 

 rage, and refreshments of every kind. W. Long. 

 185 38', S. Lat. 35 18'. See Captain Cook's 

 Voyages; and New Zealand, (j) 



BAXTER, Richard, an eminent divine, was 

 born at Rowton, in Shropshire, November 12, 1615. 

 He was carefully instructed by his father in the 

 principles of Christian piety, and gave early indica- 

 tions of a devout and studious disposition. He was 

 less fortunate in his opportunities of literary improve- 

 ment, and his first teachers were neither men of great 

 learning nor of good morals. He made very consi- 

 derable attainments, however, under Mr Owen, mas- 

 ter of the free school at Wroxeter, who taught him 

 the elements of grammar ; under Mr Wickstead, 

 chaplain to the council at Ludlow, who allowed him 

 the use of an excellent library ; and under Mr Gar- 

 bett, minister of Wroxeter, who carried him through 

 a course of philosophy, and greatly encouraged him 

 in the pursuit of his studies. In 1633 he was per- 

 suaded to seek employment at court ; and he went to 

 Whitehall, with recommendation tp Sir Henry Her- 

 bert, master of the revels ; but being soon disgusted 

 with that mode of life, and having a strong predilec- 

 tion for the clerical office, he returned home, after 

 little more than a month's absence, and resumed his 

 former studies with redoubled vigour. In the mean 

 time he was appointed master of the free school at 

 Dudley ; but his bodily health became so infirm, 

 that, from the 21st to the 23d year of his age, he 

 lived in the constant expectation of death, and was 

 so deeply impressed by a sense of the importance of 

 religion, that he became still more anxious to em- 

 ploy his remaining strength in recommending the 

 subject to his fellow creatures. In 1638 he received 

 orders from Dr Thornborough, bishop of Worcester, 

 and preached frequently at Dudley and the neigh- 

 bouring villages, with great satisfaction to his hear- 

 ers. Within less than a year after his ordination he 

 went to associate as assistant to Mr Madstard, at 

 Bridgnorth ; and in 16H) he was invited to the of- 

 fice of stated preacher at Kidderminster. Here he 

 employed himself with unwearied diligence in the in- 

 struction of his parish, and produced a very remark- 

 able reformation of manners among a very dissolute 

 people. When the civil war commenced, about two 

 years afterwards, he joined with the parliament, and 

 was exposed to several inconveniences on that account. 

 He was obliged to remove his residence, first to 

 Worcester, then to Gloucester, then back to Kid- 

 derminster, and then at length to Coventry, where 

 he continued about two years, residing chiefly in the 

 governor's house, preaching botli to the soldiers of 

 the garrison and to the people of the town, and exert- 

 ing himself, with great success and zeal, in repress- 



ing the anabaptists, and restraining the violence of the Baxter, 

 other sectaries. With the view of preventing, still ' v * 

 more effectually, the growing influence of turbulent 

 men, he connected himself with the army, and acted 

 for a considerable time as chaplain to the regiment of 

 Colonel Whalley. In 1617 lie was reduced to such 

 a feeble state of health, by a frequent bleeding at the 

 nose, that he was obliged to relinquish his employ- 

 ment in the army, and, after remaining some time at 

 the house of Sir Thomas Rouse, he returned to his 

 ministry at Kidderminster. He openly opposed ma- 

 ny of the revolutionary measures which now began 

 to prevail ; discouraged the taking of the covenant ; 

 dissuaded the army from resisting Cliarless II. at the 

 head of the Scots ; expressed his dissatisfaction with 

 Cromwell's usurpation ; recommended loyalty to their 

 prince, in a discourse before the parliament ; preached 

 a thanksgiving sermon at St Paul's, on account of 

 General Monk's success ; after the restoration was 

 appointed one of the king's chaplains in ordinary, 

 and was always treated by him with peculiar respect. 

 He frequently waited upon the king, in order to 

 procure, by his means, more favourable terms for the 

 non-conformists ; was one of the commissioners at 

 the Savoy conferences on the same subject ; and was 

 employed to draw up the reformed liturgy. He de- 

 clined the bishopric of Hereford, which was offered 

 to him by Lord Chancellor Clarendon, and desired 

 nothing so much as to resume his humble labours at 

 Kidderminster ; but he was so obnoxious to the high- 

 church party, that all the favour of the chancellor 

 could not procure his settlement there, in the way 

 that he approved. He preached occasionally in the 

 neighbourhood of London, till the passing of the act 

 against conventicles in 1662. About this time he 

 married the daughter of Francis Charleton, Esq. a 

 distinguished magistrate in Shropshire, and lived very 

 quietly, first at Acton in Middlesex, and afterwards 

 at Totteridge, near Barnet. During this retirement, 

 he received various tokens of the royal favour ; was 

 consulted upon the plans for settling the ecclesiasti- 

 cal disputes in Scotland ; and was offered his choice 

 of preferments in that country. He was one of the 

 principal sufferers in the oppressive severities which 

 were exercised against the non-conformists, during 

 the reigns of Charles II., and his successor James II. 

 He was repeatedly imprisoned, even when he was la- 

 bouring under the pressure of sickness, and was fre- 

 quently sentenced to pay very heavy penalties. But 

 nothing could deter him from discharging his minis- 

 terial functions, when proper opportunities were pre- 

 sented ; and, even when confined to his chamber by 

 increasing infirmities, he continued to expound the 

 Scriptures to all who chose to assemble together at 

 his seasons of family devotion. He bore his last ill- 

 ness with the most exemplary resignation, and bene- 

 fited his numerous visitors by his good instructions 

 and example. When constrained, by the extremity 

 of his paint, to wish for death, he used to check him- 

 self, and say, " It is not fit for me to prescribe ; 

 when thou wilt, what thou wilt, how thou wilt." 

 He died at the age of 76 years, on the 8th of De- 

 cember 1691, and his body was accompanied to the 

 grave by many persons of all ranks and denomina. 

 tious. 



