( transcription from a copy in Dr Williams's Library, London )
(Some additional paragraph breaks are inserted here in the transcriptions of text, to improve screen readability.)
- 1. Teaching him how to become a true
- Christian
- 2. How to Live as a Christian, towards God, him-
- self and others, in all his relations; especially
- in his Family.
- 3. How to Die as a Christian in Hope and Com-
- fort, and so to be Glorified with Christ for
- ever.
- In plain familiar Conferences between a
- Teacher and a Learner.
- Written by Rich. Baxter
- With a request to Landlords and Rich men
- to give to their Tenants and poor Neighbours
- either this or some fitter Book.
Aug 26 1672
Printed by R.W. for Nevill Simmons, at the Sign
of the Princes Arms in St Paul's Church-
yard. 1674
_._._._._._._._._._._._._
[ verso, facing the Title page: an engraved portrait of Richard Baxter ]
Heading banner:
- Nos quoque floruimus, sed flos fuit ille caducus
- Flammaque de stipula nostra brevisque fuit. Ov.
Circumference of portrait:
Banner within portrait (on a scroll):
Thy Benignity is better than Life. Ps.63. 3
Verse below portrait:
- THis Book was intended for the use of Poor Families which have neither money to buy many, nor time to read them: I much desired therefore to
- have made it shorter; But I could not do it, without leaving out that,
- which I think they cannot well spare. That which is spoken accurately
- and in few words, the ignorant understand not: And that which is
- large, they have neither money, leisure nor memory to make their own.
- Being unavoidably in this streight, the first remedy lyeth in your
- hands: I humbly propose it to you for the souls of men, and the comfort
- of your own, and the common good, on the behalf of Christ, the Saviour
- of your souls and theirs, that you will bestow one Book (either this or
- some fitter) upon as many poor families as you well can.
- If every Landlord would give one to every poor Tenant that he hath, once in his life, out of one years rent, it would be no great charge in
- comparison of the benefit which may be hoped for, and in comparison of
- what Prodigality consumeth. The price of one ordinary dish of meat,
- will buy a Book: And to abate for every Tenant, but one dish in your
- lives, is no great Self-denyal. If indeed you lay out all that you have
- better, I have done. If not, grudge not this little, to the poor, and to
- your selves: It will be more comfortable to your review, when the
- reckoning cometh, than that which is spent on Pomp, and Ceremony, and superfluities, and fleshly pleasures.
- And if Landlords (whose power with their Tenants is usually great) would also require them seriously to read it (at least on the Lords dayes) it may further the success. And I hope rich Citizens, and Ladies, and rich
- Women, who cannot themselves go talk to poor families, will send them
- such a messenger as this, or some fitter Book, to instruct them, seeing
- no Preacher can be got at so cheap a rate.
- The Father of spirits, and the Redeemer of souls, perswade and assist us
- all, to work while it is day, and serve his Love and Grace, for our own
- and other men's salvation. Amen.
- Your humble Monitor,
- Rich. Baxter.
- Aug.26. 1672
MR Arthur Dent's Book called The Plain mans Path way to Heaven, was so well accepted because it was a plain familiar Dialogue, that about fourty years ago, I had one, said to be of the thirtieth Impression. While I was thinking to endeavour the reprinting of it, those reasons that hindered me, did perswade me to do somewhat like it to the same Ends.
Accordingly I began in the three or four first dayes Conference to speak as much as I could in the language of the Vulgar, though I thought it not best to hold on to the End; 1. Because it would have made the Book too big, or else have necessitated me to leave out much that cannot (in order to practice) be well spared; 2. Because I may suppose that riper Christians need not so loose a stile or method as the ignorant and vulgar do; And the later part of the Book supposeth the Reader to be got above the lowest form, though not to be a Learned accurate man.
The title of the Book is rough according to the design. In the Conference with the Malignant I have brought in only such objections as are now most commonly used, and therefore which the ignorant most need our help against.
I have two things that some Readers will think need an excuse: I. That I have put, in the sixth dayes Conference, two sheets of Instructions published heretofore. Which I did, because such small things alone are cast away and lost; and because I would neither write oftener than is needful, the same things, nor yet omit so necessary a part.
II. That I have published forms of Prayer and Catechizing: But I have not now so little to do, as to confute their conceits who think such forms to be unlawful or unuseful. But that they are not better done, I confess doth need more excuse than I can give you. I expect that the Catechism should satisfy but few; for neither it nor any that I ever saw doth fully satisfy my self. It is harder than most think to suit the
words both to the Matter and to the Learners. Had I used fewer words, I must have left out some of the necessary matter. Had I used more, I had overmatched the memories of the weaker sort. The more Ignorant anyone is, the more words his Understanding needeth, and the fewer words his Memory needeth: And who can give the same man few and many? I have therefore put but few into the Catechism to be Remembred, and put the rest in the Exposition to be Read.
Those that think that so short a summary as the Creed, Lords prayer and Decalogue, with the Baptismal Covenant, which make up the first Catechism, is unuseful, are not of my judgement, nor of the ancient Churches, who made these the test of mens Christianity, and fitness for Christian Communion. I know that the exposition of the longer Catechism, is too hard for the ignorant that have no Instructer to open it further to them; and that the first part (about God) is harder than the rest: But that is from the Incomprehensibleness of God, with whom yet ®order¯ requireth us to ®begin¯; and it is so in most systemes of Theologie: And the Reader that understandeth it not at first, must come back, and study it again; For He that is the first and the last, must be the first and last of all these studies.
I had thought to have done as others, and have added another Catechism with numerous and shorter answers; but I was afraid of overdoing. The hard passages which the younger do not reach, are not unuseful to the riper, who must have their parts.
The Lord be your Teacher, and bless (when we are dead and gone) the Instructions which we leave you, according to his Word and Will!
[ summary of the Contents list (which contains synopses of the whole) ]
The Contents.
[ Synopsis of the programme of Instruction, which Baxter called
"The first dayes Conference"
"The second dayes Conference"
etc., for 9 days (or dayes)
Titles of the
Forms of Prayer, Praise and Catechism for use of
ignorant families that need them.
(18 headings)
The Conferences
(in the form of dialogues between two or more persons: e.g.
The first dayes Conference
®The Conviction of an Unconverted Sinner¯
{ Paul, A Pastor
Speakers. {
{ Saul, An Ignorant Sinner.
[ extract from the dialogue ]
®Paul¯.
When I saw you last, neighbour, I told you, that both my ®Love to you¯,
and my ®Office¯, do bind me, besides my publick preaching, to watch over
every person of my flock, and to instruct and help them man by man, as
far as I am able and they content. Thus (a) Christ himself instructed
sinners, and thus must we: You know we cannot speak so familiarly, and
come so close to every ones case, in a common Sermon, as we may do by
conference: And in conference it is not a little rambling discourse upon
the by, that is fit for so great a business; and therefore I intreated
you to allow me now and then an hours set and sober talk with you, when
all other matters might for that time be laid by; and I am now come to
claim it as you promised.
®Saul¯.
You are welcome, Sir; I confess to you, that being ignorant and
unlearned, I am loth to talk with such a man as you, about high matters,
and things of Religion, which I do not well understand: But because you
desired it, I could not say you nay.
[ Other characters appear from time to time - e.g. the Third dayes
Conference ®The Confutation of Ungodly Contradicters¯ features Paul and
Saul, as above, plus Sir Elymas Dives, A Malignant Contradicter (the
last of these being, apparently, Saul's Landlord. ]
[ The Conferences are followed by ]
The Shortest Catechism
(Two questions and answers, followed by the Creed, Lord's Prayer and Ten
Commandments, and a third question and answer, followd by an extended
form of the Creed.)
A SHORT CATECHISM, for those that have learned the first.
(Ten questions and answers, each answer followed by extended notes and
explanations.)
A short Prayer for Children and Servants
(A 2-page prayer, with separate "Additions for Children" and "Additions
for Servants")
The Prayer of a Penitential Sinner, collected out of the Psalms
"Lord, from the horrid deep"
(8 x 8-line verses, with marginal Psalm references for almost every
line)
[ this and the next 4-part hymn, all 86.86 D ]
A Psalm of Praise to our Redeemer: especially for the Lords day.
(all with marginal references to scripture)
The First Part
"Bless thou the living Lord my soul" 7 x 8-line vv.
The Second Part
"O God how doth thy Love, and Grace" 4 x 8-line vv.
The Third Part
"Glory to the Eternal God" 7 x 8-line vv.
The Fourth Part
"O that Mankind would praise the Lord!" 4 x 8 + 1 x 4-line vv.
A Psalm of Praise, to the tune of Psal.148.
"Ye holy Angels bright" 16 x 8-line vv.
Short INSTRUCTIONS for the SICK, to be Read by the Master of the Family
to them, or by themselves; especially the Unprepared.
[ then a list of Baxter's works published by Baxter and printed by
("for") Nevil Simmons; followed by a list of other (non-Baxter) works
available from the same printer. ]
_._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._
[ Title Page, 5th edition 1684 ]
T H E
P O O R M A N ' S
F A M I L Y B O O K
1. Teaching him how to become a true
Christian
2. How to Live as a Christian, towards God, him-
self and others, in all his relations; especially
in his Family.
3. How to Die as a Christian in Hope and Com-
fort, and so to be Glorified with Christ for
ever.
________________________________________________________
®In plain familiar Conferences between a
Teacher and a Learner¯.
________________________________________________________
Written by ®Rich. Baxter¯
________________________________________________________
With a request to Landlords and Rich men
to give to their Tenants and poor Neighbours,
either this or some fitter Book.
The fifth Edition, Corrected by the Author,
with the additions of some Hymns.
________________________________________________________
L O N D O N
Printed for ®B.Simons¯ at the three ®Cock¯'s
at the West end of St ®Paul¯'s, 1684.
_._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._
[ additional hymns in the 5th edition 1684; following "Ye holy Angels
bright" ]
The Additions
_____________
SACRED HYMNS
OR
Praise to God
{ Creation.
{ Redemption.
{ The Holy Ghost and Sanctification.
For { Pardon and Justification.
{ Church - Providence.
{ Promised Glory.
{ Gods Word.
{ The Communion of Saints.
Publisht for them who above curious Art
Relish the transcript of a serious heart.
___________________________
To the Tunes of the old 51 and 100 Psalms: But leaving out the words in
the Black letter, they may be sung in very many shorter Psalm-tunes.
Col.3.16. In Psalms, and Hymns, and Spiritual Songs, singing with Grace
in your hearts to the Lord.
[ 8 hymns then follow, in Long Metre, with two syllables in each 2nd and
4th line printed in Gothic Bold, so that by omitting them the verses are
in Common Metre, but the sense of the lines is unimpaired. (Also,
curiously and unpractically, the 3rd line of Hymn 1 verse 1.) ]
_._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._
_._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._