Perhaps one of the most tumultuous periods of English history occurred during the time of the English Civil War and its immediate aftermath. These years were characterized by internal turmoil over the form of government as well as the style of officially sanctioned worship in the realm. Following the restoration of the monarchy in 1660, the newly crowned Charles II sought to unify his kingdom in matters of state and religion. Therefore, he convened the Savoy Conference in 1661 to invite suggestions on how to reform the Book of Common Prayer. The puritan divine, Richard Baxter, was one of the twelve invited Presbyterian representatives to this assembly.
Glen Segger's work addresses the role that Baxter played in that conference by his composition of his own Reformed Liturgy. While Charles II had simply asked for suggestions to improve the Book of Common Prayer, Baxter independently produced an entirely new liturgy based upon the idea of a greatly reduced episcopate. Segger states that this liturgy was outright rejected by the bishops as “the ecclesiology inherent in the Reformed Liturgy was completely incompatible with that of the diocesan episcopacy envisioned by the bishops” (219). However, despite the rejection of even a hearing on Baxter's liturgy, Segger argues that it is still significant in that the Reformed Liturgy gives a snapshot of what kind of worship the Puritans would have desired as well as much insight into how the theology of Baxter shaped his own liturgy in order to deal with the theological controversies of the day.
Segger states that his aim is to build upon the “premise” of how it was Baxter's “belief (or theology)” that influenced his work on the liturgy (3–4). In so doing Segger argues that Baxter's theological underpinnings in his liturgy were actually an attempt to provide an agreeable consensus that all factions could support. Segger analyzes the Reformed Liturgy and then places it within its historical context.
Segger divides his book into six chapters. In these chapters he focuses on how Baxter drew from the Book of Common Prayer and the Westminster Directory as well as his own pastoral experience in order to shape a liturgy that might be acceptable to all parties involved in the shaping of the Anglican Church. He argues that in order to promote consensus, Baxter structured his liturgy around what he saw as the three main components of the Christian faith: the Apostle's Creed, the Lord's Prayer, and the Ten Commandments.
The first chapter in his book provides the historical setting and some biographical information about Baxter himself. This immersion into Baxter's pastoral life, especially when he forms the Worcestershire Association in 1653, demonstrates the life-long commitment Baxter had to unity and harmony of belief within the church. In chapter two Segger discusses Baxter's proposed services for each Sunday. In chapter three he discusses Baxter's treatment of the Lord's Supper, or communion. In this chapter, Segger is able to demonstrate convincingly how Baxter's belief shaped liturgical practice. Baxter, like most puritans, wanted to guard the communion table to penitent believers only. To deal with this issue, Baxter used specific professions of faith that allowed access to the communion table. This was controversial at the time as many ministers excluded participants they viewed as unworthy. What also is intriguing is the revelation of Baxter's high sacramental regard for the Eucharist that was not representative of most puritans. Chapter four then deals with the rite of baptism. Segger illustrates how Baxter contended with the differing beliefs of baptism in an attempt to forge a middle ground through his liturgy. In chapter five Segger discusses the pastoral rites such as weddings and funerals in the Reformed Liturgy. In this section Segger argues that Baxter followed a more puritan approach in his attempt to “purge the liturgy of ceremony” (169). Chapter six deals with pastoral discipline in the practical exercise of a parish ministry. Segger also includes an invaluable addition of the entire text of the Reformed Liturgy in the appendix.
Segger's book is an important addition to the study of seventeenth-century English religious history. He provides a comprehensive and detailed analysis of Richard Baxter's theology and how it fit within the times. Despite an outright rejection of this liturgy by those in charge, Segger makes a compelling case of its historical importance representing the beliefs of a minority group and the influence that is still felt today.
