Richard Baxter

Richard Baxter (12 November 1615 – 8 December 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. His views on justification and sanctification are highly controversial within the Reformed tradition because his teachings seem, to some, to undermine salvation by faith alone, the bedrock of the Protestant Reformation.

Early life and education

Baxter was born at Rowton, Shropshire, at the house of his maternal grandfather (probably on 12 November 1615), and baptised at its then parish church at High Ercall. In February 1626 he was removed to his parents' home (now called Baxter's House) in Eaton Constantine. Richard's early education was poor, being mainly in the hands of the local clergy, themselves virtually illiterate. He was helped by John Owen, master of the free school at Wroxeter, where he studied from about 1629 to 1632, and made fair progress in Latin. On Owen's advice he did not proceed to Oxford (a step which he afterwards regretted), but went to Ludlow Castle to read with Richard Wickstead, chaplain to the Council of Wales and the Marches.

Richard Baxter (rugby union)

Richard Baxter (born 23 June 1978) is a retired Rugby Union player who played his entire professional career for his local club, Exeter Chiefs in the Aviva Premiership. He made his first team debut for Exeter against Fylde on 11 October 1997. His position of choice is Number 8.

He announced his retirement on 2 May 2013 after playing 16 seasons, 431 games and 126 tries for Exeter.

Richard is the younger brother of Chiefs coach Rob Baxter.

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Richard Baxter (actor)

Richard Baxter (c. 1593 – c. 1667), or Backster, was a seventeenth-century actor, who worked in some of the leading theatre companies of his era. His long career illustrates the conditions during the difficult years of transition from the period of English Renaissance theatre, through the English Civil War and the Interregnum, and into the Restoration era.

Early years

Baxter worked with Queen Anne's Men through most of that company's existence, from 1606 to 1623. He was paid 10 shillings a week as a hired man; he became a sharer (a partner in the company) in 1623, the year the company folded. Unfortunately, that company was in financial difficulties for much of its existence; its hired men were sometimes paid half their wages, or less, or nothing. "Baxter kept a record of these deficits, which he considered as arrears, but could never recover them from the company." (Baxter may have received his share in 1623 as compensation for the arrearages.)

Baxter was with the King's Men in the years from 1628 to 1637; he appeared in their productions of Ford's The Lover's Melancholy (1628) and Massinger's Believe as You List (1631), and their revival of Fletcher's The Mad Lover, c. 1630.

Richard Baxter (disambiguation)

Richard Baxter (1615–1691) was an English Puritan church leader, poet, hymn-writer, theologian, and controversialist.

Richard Baxter may also refer to:

See also