Pride, Novices, and the Perils of Unstudied Zeal: Richard Baxter’s Pastoral Rebuke

J. Neil Daniels 

Nota Bene: A "Deep Dive" audio overview is available here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1P6lhDH9N7RzQKByymbs-2ABeKk3chlqG/view?usp=drivesdk

Introduction 

Richard Baxter (1615–1691), the renowned English Puritan pastor and theologian, was known not only for his deep theological writings but also for his passionate concern for the spiritual well-being of ordinary Christians. In The Quakers Catechism (1655), Baxter engages in pastoral polemic, warning against the spiritual hazards of ungrounded confidence in one’s own opinions, especially when they contradict the learned consensus of godly teachers. Drawing from Scripture, ecclesiastical order, and pastoral concern, Baxter issues a firm yet charitable exhortation to a young man who, though zealous, lacks the spiritual maturity and theological grounding necessary to make sound judgments. His words remain a powerful caution against the pride that so often accompanies immature religiosity.

Presumption Without Study

Baxter begins by expressing astonishment at the young man’s shift in doctrinal allegiance—from believing infant baptism to be in error, to sympathizing with Quaker teachings—despite never seriously engaging with the literature or consulting qualified teachers. “You neither did once read any one of those Books which we have written to prove Infant-Baptism to be a duty,” he writes, “nor did once seriously and impartially lay open your doubts to your Teacher, nor ask his advice.” This, for Baxter, is not merely neglectful but spiritually dangerous, for it entails “venture[ing] your soul to save you a little labour.” Here, Baxter critiques what could be called “spiritual anti-intellectualism”: the presumption that one may arrive at divine truth without effort, inquiry, or the humility to learn from others.

Scripture is not silent on this matter. Proverbs 18:13 declares, “He who gives an answer before he hears, it is folly and shame to him” (LSB). Likewise, the Bereans are commended because they “received the word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so” (Acts 17:11). For Baxter, the unwillingness to study or consult teachers is an abdication of the means God has appointed for the acquisition of truth.

The Gravity of Spiritual Pride

Baxter goes on to confront the pride that often accompanies such unexamined confidence. He paints a stark contrast between the novice and the seasoned minister: “Your Teacher hath spent twenty, if not an hundred hours in such Meditation where you have spent one.” Likewise, he observes that the teacher’s prayers are more frequent and fervent, and his life “much more holy and heavenly.” This is not to exalt the minister personally but to highlight the divine ordering of authority and responsibility in the church. Ministers are called, trained, and gifted for the task of teaching; to presume oneself wiser than such a man without comparable discipline is, for Baxter, the epitome of pride.

This is precisely the sin Paul warns against in 1 Timothy 3:6, where a bishop must “not be a new convert (νεόφυτος), so that he will not become conceited and fall into the condemnation of the devil.” Baxter cites this passage directly, explaining that the term "novice" refers to “a New Plant, a late Convert, or new or young Christian,” who is especially vulnerable to pride because “they have not yet knowledge enough to acquaint them with their ignorance and great weaknesses.” This self-unawareness is precisely what makes pride so lethal in young believers: they cannot yet discern the limits of their own understanding.

Moreover, Baxter ties such pride to satanic condemnation, noting Paul’s warning that to fall into pride is to fall into “the condemnation of the devil.” This is not rhetorical flourish but a sobering reminder that spiritual arrogance was at the heart of Satan’s fall (cf. Isa 14:13–14; Eze 28:17) and remains the hallmark of those who rebel against divine order. The young man’s refusal to submit to instruction, then, is not a trivial fault but a trajectory toward spiritual ruin.

The Sin of Contempt Toward Teachers

An implicit theme in Baxter’s rebuke is the sin of contemning lawful spiritual authority. The young man, despite having had “little opportunity to be acquainted with the Word of God,” dares to dismiss his pastor and others of “his mind” as being in error. Baxter does not deny the possibility of error among clergy, but he protests the presumption that a young convert, with little prayer, study, or experience, should consider himself a better interpreter of God’s Word. As he writes: “Is it not then apparent pride for you to be confident that you are so much wiser than he...?”

The Scriptural pattern affirms the office of teachers and the importance of learning from those appointed by God. Ephesians 4:11–14 declares that Christ “gave some as... pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of service... so that we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine.” In bypassing this ordained structure, Baxter argues, the young man opens himself to the instability that accompanies theological novelty.

This is precisely what Baxter sees in the Quakers, whom he criticizes as having “run about with the Shell on [their] head, exclaiming to the world of the ignorance of your late Teachers.” The image is telling: newly hatched, yet declaring themselves wiser than their spiritual progenitors. In Baxter’s view, such behavior is not only immature but perilously close to heretical arrogance.

The Call to Humility and Submission

Baxter’s rebuke is ultimately pastoral, not merely polemical. His concern is for the young man’s soul, and for others “that have not yet sinned unto death” (cf. 1 John 5:16–17). He reminds him that it has been “but a few years since you came out of utter ignorance and carnality,” and therefore he has reason to be “very watchful against this sin” of pride. Far from condemning youthful zeal, Baxter seeks to temper it with humility, reminding the reader that wisdom and holiness are not gained by impulse, but by diligence, submission, and the Spirit’s work through ordained means.

The Scriptures commend such humility. Proverbs 11:2 states, “With the humble is wisdom,” and James 1:21 exhorts believers to “in humility receive the word implanted, which is able to save your souls.” Baxter's plea, then, is for the young believer to grow into maturity not by self-exaltation, but by humbly walking in the path of the wise.

Conclusion

Richard Baxter’s exhortation in The Quakers Catechism is a model of pastoral theology, fusing doctrinal clarity with pastoral concern, and biblical argument with spiritual application. His words remain a timely warning in an age where religious zeal often outpaces theological maturity. The church today, like in Baxter’s time, needs not only passion but patience, not only enthusiasm but education, and not only sincerity but submission to the truth as revealed in Scripture and taught through faithful ministers. May those who are young in the faith heed Baxter’s call to humility, diligence, and wise counsel, lest pride become the devil’s snare.

Source 

Baxter, Richard. The Quakers Catechism, or, The Quakers Questioned, Their Questions Answered, and Both Published for the Sake of Those of Them That Have Not Yet Sinned unto Death, and of Those Ungrounded Novices That Are Most in Danger of Their Seduction. London: Thomas Underhill and Francis Tyton, 1655.