Reliquiæ Baxterianæ, or, Mr. Richard Baxters narrative of the most memorable passages of his…

§ 39. A little after this an Accident fell out that hindered our Concord with the Episcopal Party, and is pretended at this Day by many to justify the Silencing of all the Ministers that were afterward put out. Oliver Cromwell, who then usurped the Government, being desired by some to forbid all Ministers of all Parties whatsoever to officiate, who were notoriously insufficient or scandalous, taketh hence Occasion to put in with the rest all those that took part with the King against the Parliament, and so by offending them, hindered our Agreement with them; which provoked me then to protest against it, and publish my Judgment against the hindering of any Man to preach the Gospel upon the Ground of such Civil Controversies as those.

§ 39. A little after this an Accident fell out that hindered our Concord with the Episcopal Party, and is pretended at this Day by many to justifie the Silencing of all the Ministers that were afterward put out. Oliver Cromwell, who then usurped the Government, being desired by some to forbid all Ministers of all Parties whatsoever to officiate, who were notoriously insufficient or scandalous, taketh hence Occasion to put in with the rest all those that took part with the King against the Parliament, and so by offending them, hindred our Agreement with them; which provoked me then to protest against it, and publish my Judgment against the hindering of any Man to preach the Gospel upon the Ground of such Civil Controversies as those.

§ 40. And about the same time, Experience in my Pastoral Charge convinced me that public Preaching is not all the ordinary Work of a faithful Minister,¹ and that personal Conference with every one about the State of their own Souls, together with Catechising, is a Work of very great Necessity: For the Custom in England is only to catechise the younger sort, and that but by teaching them the Words of the Catechism in the Liturgy, which we thought (besides the Doctrine of the Sacrament) had little more explicatory than the Words themselves of the Creed, Lord's Prayer, and Decalogue: Therefore I propounded the Business to the Ministers, and they all (upon Debate) consented that I should rn our brief Confession into a Catechism, and draw up a Form of Agreement for the Practising of that Duty: I drew up the Catechism in Two leaves in 8v. comprehending […] is necessary to be believed, consented to and practised; in as narrow room, and just a Method as I thought agreeable to the Peoples Understandings: And I proposed a Form of Agreement for the Practice, which might engage the […] to go through with the Work: And when I brought it in, it was conseed to and subscribed; and many neighbouring Ministers of other Countries desired to join with us; and we printed the Catechism and Agreement together.