The king, though a Roman Catholic, is regarded as the supreme bishop of the Protestant Church. He exercises the episcopal power through a supreme con- sistory at Munich, which consists of a president, four clerical and one lay councillor. Subordinate to it are two Lutheran provincial consistories, at Anspach and Baireuth, consisting of one director, two clerical and one lay councillors, and one consistory of the United Evangelical Church at Spires. The district of the for- mer comprises the seven provinces on the other side of the Rhine, and contains 27 deaneries and 1036 par- ishes, of which seven arc Reformed. The district of the latter is the Palatinate, with fourteen dioceses. In all the three consistorial districts the diocesan syn- ods meet annually. The laity is represented at them, but not by deputies of their choice. The ecclesiasti- cal boards select them from a number presented by the clergy or by the presbyteries. Every fourth year a general synod meets in each of the three districts. The two Lutheran general synods of Anspach and Baireuth were united into one in 18-19 and 1803, but in 1857, the government, fearing excitement in discus- sion, ordered them again, contrary to the general wish of the Church, to be held separately. A theological faculty is connected with the University of Erlangen. The present faculty (18G0) is known for its attachment to High Lutheran principles, and publishes one of the leading theological magazines of Germany, the Zeit- scliriftfiir I'rotestantismus und Kirche. The Palatinate has a few old Lutheran congregations. The highest court for the adjudication of the marriage affairs of Protestants is a commission (senate) of Protestant members of the Supreme Court of Appeal at Bamberg. The president of the supreme consistory of Munich is a member of the Upper Chamber of the Diet, and the lower clergy elect five deputies for the House of Representatives. Among the great Protestant theo- logians and scholars of the present century wc men- tion Harless, Hofmann, Thomasius, Delitzsch, Schu- bert.— Buchner, Geschich/e von Baiern aus den Quellcn (Regensb. 1820-1855, 10 vols.); Zschokke, Bair. Ge- sckickh n (Aarau, 2d cd. 1821, 4 vols.) ; Matthes, Kirch- liche Chronik.
Baxter, George Addison, D.D., an eminent Presbyterian divine, was born in Virginia in 1771, and educated at Liberty Hall, Lexington, of which institu- tion he became principal in 1799. Having been li- censed to preach two years before, he also became pas- tor of the Presbyterian congregation at the same place, which post he filled for over thirty years. He contin- ued his connection with Liberty Hall, afterward Wash- ington College, until 1829, and received the degree of D.D. in 1812. In 1832 he became Professor of Theol- ogy in the Union Theological Seminary, and there la- bored until his death in 18-11. Dr. Baxter was the author of various sermons and essays. — Sprague, An- nate, iv, 192.
Baxter, Richard, a celebrated Nonconformist di- vine, born at Rowton, in Shropshire, Nov. 12th, 1615, of pious and excellent parents. His early education was obtained under indifferent masters, so that he nev- er in after life became an accurate scholar, although his unrivalled industry and talent made him a widely- learned man. Though not a graduate of either uni- versity, he was ordained by Mornborough, bishop of Worcester, and in 1640 became vicar of Kidderminster. He devoted himself to his work, and his labors were eminently successful. Not satisfied with correcting the more flagrant offences of the inhabitants, he visit- ed them at their houses, gave them religious instruc- tion in private, and became their friend as well as
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their paster. By these means he wrought a complete change in the habits of the people. His preaching was acceptable to all ranks. Wherever he went, large audiences attended him ; and, notwithstanding his feeble health, he preached three or four times a week. During the civil wars Baxter held a position bj- which he was connected with both the opposite par- ties in the state, and yet was the partisan of neither. His attachment to monarch v.was well known ; but the undisguised respect paid by him to the character of some of the Puritans made him and others, who were sincerely attached to the crown, objects of jealousy and persecution. During an ebullition of party excite- ment Baxter spent a few days in the Parliamentary army, and was preaching within sound of the cannon of the battle at Edge Hill. Not considering it safe to return to Kidderminster, he retired to Coventry, where he lived two years, preaching regularly. After the battle of Naseby in 1645, he passed a night on a visit to some friends in Cromwell's army, a circumstance which led to the chaplaincy of Colonel Whalley's regi- ment being offered to him, which, after consulting his friends at Coventry, he accepted. In this capacity he was present at the taking of Bridgewater, the sieges of Exeter, Bristol, and AYoreester, by Colonels Whal- \ey and Rainsborough. He lost no opportunity of moderating the temper of the champions of the Com- monwealth, and of restraining them within the bounds of reason; but as it was known that the check pro- ceeded from one who was unfriendly to the ulterior objects of the party, his interference was coolly re- ceived. After his recovery from an illness which com- pelled him to leave the army, we find him again at Kidderminster, exerting himself to moderate conflict- ing opinions. The conduct of Cromwell at this crisis exceedingly perplexed that class of men of -whom Baxter might be regarded as the type. For the sake of peace they yielded to an authority Avhich they con- demned as a usurpation, but nothing could purchase their approbation of the measures by which it had been attained and was supported. In open conference Bax- ter did not scruple to denounce Cromwell and his ad- herents as guilty of treason and rebellion, though he afterward doubted if he was right in opposing him so strongly (see Baxter's Penitent Confessions, quoted in Orme). The. reputation of Baxter rendered his coun- tenance to the new order of things highly desirable, and accordingly no pains were spared to procure it. The protector invited him to an interview, and endeav- ored to reconcile him to the political changes that had taken place ; but the preacher was unconvinced by his arguments, and boldly told him that "the honest peo- ple of the land took their ancient monarchy to be a blessing and not an evil." In the disputes which pre- vailed about this time on the subject of episcopal or- dination, Baxter took the side of the Presbyterians in denying its necessity. With them, too, he agreed in matters of discipline and church government. He dis- sented from them in their condemnation of episcopacy as unlawful. On their great principle, namely, the sufficiency of the Scriptures to determine all points of faith and conduct, he wavered for some time, but ulti- mately adopted it in its full extent. Occupying as he did this middle ground between the Episcopalians and the Presbyterians, it was not very obvious with which of the two parties he -was to be classed. Had all im- positions and restraints been removed, there is every reason to suppose that he would have preferred a mod- erate episcopacy to any other form of church govern- ment ; but the measures of the prelatical party were so grievous to the conscience that he had no choice be- tween sacrificing his opinions or quitting their commu- nion. He was, however, compelled to quit the army in 1657, in consequence of a sudden and dangerous ill- ness, and returned to Worcester. From that place he went to London to have medical advice. He was ad- vised to visit Tunbridge Wells ; and after continuing