not the spirits of the departed just, with the angels, now constitute the general assembly above; and is not that the kingdom of Christ, and doth he not now reign over all? Shall these blessed souls come down for one thousand years, and dwell either with devils, or where devils now dwell, in the air? If they come thither with Christ at judgment, shall they dwell there so long? and is it no worse a place than where they are? Seeing the heavens that now are must then be burnt, is not the air the lower part of the heavens, or that at least, and shall Christ and the new Jerusalem dwell in the consuming fire? I cannot possibly find what time you allot to the conflagration of heaven; whether it shall continue burning all the one thousand years, or be . quickly dispatched at first; nor yet what time or measure you set to the conflagration of the earth. Doth it burn all at once, or by gradations, as Dr. Cressener thinks, beginning at Rome, and so going on? or is it all the one thousand years proceeding to its dispatch? If so, it is a wonder that this long fire consumeth not Gog and Magog, and if the inhabitants fly from it, as at Etna, whither do they carry their goods, and where will they find room, both saints and sinners? Is it the new earth all the while it is burning? If it be burnt at all at the beginning, where are the surviving saints all the while?

"You avoid many difficulties by holding but one resurrection; but what then becomes of the bodies of all the wicked, who die during the one thousand years? Do soul and body go to hell unburied, or do only their souls suffer, and their bodies never rise? Is there one conflagration or two? The Scriptures speak but of one; and then what becomes of your new earth at the end of the one thousand years? are not Gog and Magog burnt at last? Is your beloved city on earth in one place? and where? or over the whole earth? Is not the number that cover the camp, as the sand of the sea, with Gog and Magog, inconsistent with the description of the new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness, and with the times of restitution, when the groaning creation shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into a paradisiacal state?" b

Such is a specimen of the questions which Baxter proposed to Beverly, on his having transmitted to him a copy of the work which he had published. Could I have quoted them all, they would have shown how amply Baxter, even at this advanced period of his life, entered into the subject, and that no portion

Letter to Beverly.—Baxter MSS.

of his natural acuteness had yet failed him. It does not seem to have produced much effect on Beverly; and therefore, in the course of the year 1691, appeared a 4to tract, entitled "The Glorious Kingdom of Christ described and clearly vindicated, &c., by Richard Baxter, whose comfort is only the hope of that kingdom.'

In this work he enters the lists with the Millenarians in general: with those who boldly asserted the future restoration and reign of the Jews, and the one thousand years' rest before the conflagration; with those also who expected a reign of one thousand years after the conflagration; and with Beverly in particular, in answer to his challenges and censures, of which he appears to have been very liberal. Baxter endeavours to explain the promise of the new heavens and the new earth; and contends for the everlasting duration of Christ's kingdom. He undertakes to prove that the doctrines of Beverly, and the Millenarians, are chimerical, and without foundation in Scripture; that the views commonly entertained on these subjects are in accordance with all correct interpretation of the prophecies of the Bible; that Christ's kingdom is spiritual in its nature, properly commenced at his resurrection, and will continue till the final conflagration, when it will be perfected for ever in heaven.

From this work, it appears that Baxter did not believe that the ten tribes were ever so entirely lost as many suppose, and that part of them existed in the time of Christ and the Apostles; consequently that the recovery of such a body, according to the expectations of many, is not to be looked for. Nor does he appear to have believed in any national conversion of the Jewish people, in their restoration to their own country, in their instrumentality for the conversion of the world, or in their future superiority over the nations. His reasonings on all these topics, cannot be given. I do not agree with him in every point, but I have no hesitation in saying, that though less known than many of his works, it is one of the acutest and best written of his numerous publications. The opinions of Beverly were not new when he wrote; they had been frequently started and exploded before. They have been repeatedly revived since, maintained with no less confidence, and propagated with equal zeal; and in future ages will probably continue to experience the same fate. One passage of Baxter's tract, relating to Beverly, I think merits to be quoted:

"Your writings make it plain, that you are a good man, of

deep thoughts, fallen into a fond esteem of your new, unripe conceptions, and wrapt up thereby into a diseased conceitedness. How you will be able to bear it when Providence and experience have confuted you in 1697, I know not. But I am the more bold to foretell your failing, by my persuasion, that your exposition of the Revelation, is a mere mistake from the beginning almost to the end.

"Wonder not that nobody writeth to confute you. For men love not to trouble themselves with convincing every single man of his errors. The reason why I attempt it is, because by the seduction of some of my friends, and the general inclination of the Antinomian, Anabaptist, and separating party to this conceit of the thousand years' kingdom, I understand that your opinion, which formerly was tolerable as confined to a few conceited good men, is now becoming a great article of their faith and religion, especially since I see that in all your professed extraordinary humility, you brand all who dissent from you as semi-Sadducees of the apostacy, and constantly challenge all pastors and doctors to answer you; and maintain (though you conform) that God's word knoweth not a clergy." e

Beverly published a short answer to Baxter, as full of confidence as ever. In consequence of which, Baxter brought out quickly after, another pamphlet in Reply to Mr. Thomas Beverly's Answer to my Reasons against his Doctrine of the Thousand Years' Middle Kingdom, and of the Conversion of the Jews.' Feb. 20, 1691. 4to. This tract consists of only twentyone pages, and must have been among the last things of a controversial nature which Baxter wrote, as appears from the date on the title-page, where he also speaks of himself "as passing to that world where we shall see face to face." Beverly had the last word in 'The One Thousand Years' Kingdom of Christ in its full Scripture State, answering Mr. Baxter's new Treatise in opposition to it.' 1691. 4to.

Thus ended Baxter's debate with Beverly on the subject of the Millenium; and here must terminate our account of the

Pp. 45, 46. It is a very curious fact, which appears to have struck Baxter, as he refers to it more than once in this pamphlet, that the abettors of the doctrine of the Millenium, against which he contended, were mostly of two classes-Conformists aud High Calvinists. That this is the case still, is known to all who are acquainted with the parties who have agitated this question in latter years. This is not the place to account for this co-incidence, but it is certainly worthy of some attention. Beverly was a Dissenting Conformist, and attached to the high side of the Christian controversy in which he took part.

minor controversies in which he was engaged. Employed in such affairs during the greater part of his public life, he seems to have become so accustomed to the warfare and language of religious controversy, that it had comparatively little influence on his temper. He could pass without effort from debating Baptism to meditations on the Saint's Rest;' and from disputes about the Millenium, to the expression of his 'Dying Thoughts.' He opposed firmly what he believed to be error; but though he often used the language of sharpness, the law of kindness never ceased to reign in his breast.

6

CHAPTER XI.

POLITICAL AND HISTORICAL WORKS.

Introductory Observations-Humble Advice'' Holy Commonwealth'—Origin and Design of the Work-Involved the Author in much trouble-The Political Principles which it avows Recalled by Baxter - Motives for doing so― Church History of Bishops'-Attacked by Morrice- True History of Bishops and Councils Defended'-Breviate of the Life of Mrs. Baxter'' Penitent Confession'-Conduct of Long towards Baxter-' Reliquiæ Baxterianæ '-Character of this Work-Imperfectly Edited by Sylvester-Calamy's Account of it, and its Reception-His Abridgment of it -Controversy to which it led.

It is difficult to define what ought, in particular circumstances, to be the conduct of a Christian minister respecting political affairs. Neither the profession of Christianity, nor the office of the ministry, deprives a man of his civil privileges, or of a right to exercise them. At the same time, "all things which are lawful may not be expedient." Every man, and especially every minister of Christ, is bound to study what may tend most effectually to promote the grand design of Christianity, and to abstain as much as possible, both from giving offence to the weak, and exciting unnecessary prejudices against him on the part of others. It is easy to act when the affairs of a country are moving on with regularity and smoothness; but when "the foundations are all out of course," and "civil dudgeon" runs high, the most inoffensive and conscientious persons may frequently be exposed to great difficulty. Taking part in their country's affairs will expose them to the charge of meddling and sedition; while entire neutrality may probably bring upon them the no less injurious insinuation of selfish indifference. To these difficulties religious people were greatly exposed during the trying period of England's struggle for civil and religious freedom.

Baxter was not a man formed for neutrality. It was not in his nature to avoid taking part with the weak and righteous,