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The Reformation of the Church: A Collection of Reformed and Puritan Documents on Church Issues
The nature and life of the church is one of the most crucial issues facing Christians in the closing years of the twentieth century. Questions of ministry and liturgy, authority and freedom, appear in a wide variety of guises throughout the world-wide church. Relativism and uncertainty seem to be as common in the church as in the world. Many Christians wonder whether there is any way forward. In this context, The Reformation of the Church is an invaluable aid. An anthology of documents, drawn largely but not exclusively from the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, it presents in a readily accessible form the finest thinking of the reformed fathers on authority and freedom, the need for reformation, the nature of the government, unity and membership of the church of Jesus Christ. Warmly welcomed when first published in 1965, and widely use since then, these documents provide invaluable material for ministers, elders, leaders, students and all Christians who are concerned to see Christ's church fulfill her God-given role at a critical juncture in her history.
414 pages, Paperback
First published June 1, 1965
8 people are currently reading
173 people want to read
About the author
Iain H. Murray
48 books240 followersIain Hamish Murray is a British pastor and author. He was educated in the Isle of Man and at the University of Durham before entering ministry in 1955. He served as assistant to Martyn Lloyd-Jones at Westminster Chapel (1956–59) and subsequently at Grove Chapel, London (1961–69) and St. Giles Presbyterian Church, Sydney, Australia, (1981–84). In 1957 he and Jack Cullum founded the Reformed publishing house, the Banner of Truth Trust, of which he continues to serve as a trustee.
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
November 22, 2021
What can we learn from church history? In The Reformation of the Church, Banner of Truth presents a collection of reformed and puritan documents on church issues.
An Impressive Anthology
Originally published in 1964, with selections and introductions by Iain H. Murray, this anthology of documents is impressive and interesting. At just over 450 pages, it is a wealth of resources readily accessible for your high-level research and leisure reading.
The book is divided into five sections: (1) The Nature of the Church, (2) The Rule for Reformation – the Word of God, (3) The Need for Reformation, (4) New Testament Church Government, and (5) the Unity of the Church. I found all of these sections to be relevant reading for our modern times.
Civil War and Persecution
Because the selections are mainly from the period of 1550-1662, Civil War and persecution provide the troubled background of this book. This made the texts seem more urgent, more important, and more meaningful. I saw how important Christ’s Bride was to these saints, and how she is to be cherished for future generations.
What I was most interested in was how these documents brought context to writings I have grown to love. For instance, in The Cambridge Platform of 1648, you can see how “The Preface expresses the churches’ hearty assent to the newly published Westminster Confession of Faith.” It was fascinating to imagine how the church was changed during this time.
Healing and Unity
Towards the end of the book, a section is included on James Durham’s The Scandal of Division Among the Godly. It is a sadly fitting placement of a topic that is still needing to be addressed today. There is a call for healing and unity, and I was moved to see how God continues to purify and preserve his church.
Thomas Shephards’ treatise on The Church Membership of Children is included as an appendix. And while some may or may not disagree on where he stands, this much is clear: God cares for his children, and he has given them the church as a gift. We would do well to take care of her, and watch as she is sanctified, preparing for her wedding day.
I received a media copy of Reformation Of The Church and this is my honest review.
An Impressive Anthology
Originally published in 1964, with selections and introductions by Iain H. Murray, this anthology of documents is impressive and interesting. At just over 450 pages, it is a wealth of resources readily accessible for your high-level research and leisure reading.
The book is divided into five sections: (1) The Nature of the Church, (2) The Rule for Reformation – the Word of God, (3) The Need for Reformation, (4) New Testament Church Government, and (5) the Unity of the Church. I found all of these sections to be relevant reading for our modern times.
Civil War and Persecution
Because the selections are mainly from the period of 1550-1662, Civil War and persecution provide the troubled background of this book. This made the texts seem more urgent, more important, and more meaningful. I saw how important Christ’s Bride was to these saints, and how she is to be cherished for future generations.
What I was most interested in was how these documents brought context to writings I have grown to love. For instance, in The Cambridge Platform of 1648, you can see how “The Preface expresses the churches’ hearty assent to the newly published Westminster Confession of Faith.” It was fascinating to imagine how the church was changed during this time.
Healing and Unity
Towards the end of the book, a section is included on James Durham’s The Scandal of Division Among the Godly. It is a sadly fitting placement of a topic that is still needing to be addressed today. There is a call for healing and unity, and I was moved to see how God continues to purify and preserve his church.
Thomas Shephards’ treatise on The Church Membership of Children is included as an appendix. And while some may or may not disagree on where he stands, this much is clear: God cares for his children, and he has given them the church as a gift. We would do well to take care of her, and watch as she is sanctified, preparing for her wedding day.
I received a media copy of Reformation Of The Church and this is my honest review.
April 8, 2022
The Reformation of the Church: A Collection of Reformed and Puritan Documents on Church Issues, edited by Iain Murray is published by Banner of Truth.
Let’s face it, some books call for a long, hard slog. I love page turners, meaning those books that are hard to put down. I find myself wanting to race to the end and yet dreading that time when the book is finished. Some books gain momentum as the reader progresses. I told my students who were assigned to read The Brothers Karamazov that the book would pick up the pace after the first 300 or 400 pages. (That is actually more true of other lengthy novels.)
But some books are hard reads. Some books demand commitment. Some books are a page-by-page, chapter-by-chapter task to read.
Yet, the slogging through a book is often needed. No, not everyone needs to slog. No, not every slog is worth the effort. And NO, NO, NO, a slog is not what is needed at the bedside for relaxation.
The Reformation of the Church is a slow, weighty, challenging read that is worth the slog. There are plenty of books out there that diagnose church problems, that recommend church strategies, that counsel and advise pastors and elders, that give quick easy encouragement to church leaders, and that are easy, teachable, sharable nuggets of help to all of us living in the world of church life. I have profited from many such books.
But our churches today are the products of long, hard, difficult battles over theology, liturgy, polity, and outside forces. The Reformation was not just about Martin Luther rediscovering the experience of personal salvation. His was the first (or arguably the 500th) domino to fall in a series that led to church and world-changing consequences for several centuries, including our own.
The essays in this book deal with some testy issues of days past that are not seemingly relevant to our times. The ministerial attire of English pastors was a battleground issue. Seems strange to me because I see good and godly pastors whose clothing styles range from overly casual to well-dressed to robes. But surplices and cassocks riled men of Puritan temperament.
That issue is not one where we see the lines clearly drawn today. Some of my Anglican pastor friends preach solid sermons, as do my more causally dressing pastor friends. But there was a need in the purifying battles of the post-Reformation period for reforms to be root and branch. We can all agree on the root reforms more easily than the branch reforms.
The chapter I am currently reading is on the topic of bishops and episcopacy. For clarification, I am a Presbyterian with low views of presbytery connections who is a part of a Southern Baptist church that seems to have no views of denominational connections. (Long story there that I will forego telling.)
“Bishops” is a biblical word that seems to be wrongly used by some and ignored by others. I am constantly astounded by churches that proclaim adherence to the Bible as the truth, but they ignore Biblical teachings and examples regarding ministry. Churches today often have a pastor and a staff of others that includes music ministers, assistant pastors, associate pastors, youth pastors, senior pastors, etc.
But what about elders? The eldership is not a vaguely mentioned, scarcely noticed concept in the Bible. The Reformers, the Puritans, the Covenanters, and their American heirs would never have skipped past such issues and raced on to make plans for a summer softball league. And the churches are groaning because we don’t have proper, Biblical leadership. And head pastors are flailing and failing because we have elevated their office to a multitasking monstrousity.
The Reformation of the Church is not going to be a chapter-by-chapter resource for quickly solving church problems. Most of what I as a former pastor and you as a pastor or layman are facing will not show up in black and white print in this book.
So why read it? Part of our problem today is simply that—it is a problem today. We have no historical depth, no rooted convictions, no history to guide us (other than last year’s business meeting minutes). We are thinking like Moderns. That also means that we are not thinking at all.
The Reformation of the Church should be either assigned as a whole or in part for students seriously studying church history. (Okay, that sold a few copies.) But men training for the pastorate should also read it. (Sales bumped up a bit.) The huge numbers of wide-eyed Christians who are part of “worship teams” should also read it in order to find the Reformation and Puritan roots of “worship teams.” (I don’t expect any rush to purchase from that statement.) The Christian in the pew might be okay with focusing on issues other than those in this book, but that is true only if he or she is in a church where the leadership understands this book.
One other reason for reading this book: Iain Murray is the editor of this work. He is the best popular church historian and biographer of our time. His many books have laid out the names and stories of many great leaders in church history particularly in the British Isles. His biographies of Martyn Lloyd-Jones and Jonathan Edwards are classics. His labors with Banner of Truth are sterling.
So, prepare to slog through the book. Read slowly and wonder how the seemingly arcane discussions of the past reveal weaknesses today that you and I have not taken seriously. This won’t necessarily be an easy read, but it will be profitable.
Share this:
Let’s face it, some books call for a long, hard slog. I love page turners, meaning those books that are hard to put down. I find myself wanting to race to the end and yet dreading that time when the book is finished. Some books gain momentum as the reader progresses. I told my students who were assigned to read The Brothers Karamazov that the book would pick up the pace after the first 300 or 400 pages. (That is actually more true of other lengthy novels.)
But some books are hard reads. Some books demand commitment. Some books are a page-by-page, chapter-by-chapter task to read.
Yet, the slogging through a book is often needed. No, not everyone needs to slog. No, not every slog is worth the effort. And NO, NO, NO, a slog is not what is needed at the bedside for relaxation.
The Reformation of the Church is a slow, weighty, challenging read that is worth the slog. There are plenty of books out there that diagnose church problems, that recommend church strategies, that counsel and advise pastors and elders, that give quick easy encouragement to church leaders, and that are easy, teachable, sharable nuggets of help to all of us living in the world of church life. I have profited from many such books.
But our churches today are the products of long, hard, difficult battles over theology, liturgy, polity, and outside forces. The Reformation was not just about Martin Luther rediscovering the experience of personal salvation. His was the first (or arguably the 500th) domino to fall in a series that led to church and world-changing consequences for several centuries, including our own.
The essays in this book deal with some testy issues of days past that are not seemingly relevant to our times. The ministerial attire of English pastors was a battleground issue. Seems strange to me because I see good and godly pastors whose clothing styles range from overly casual to well-dressed to robes. But surplices and cassocks riled men of Puritan temperament.
That issue is not one where we see the lines clearly drawn today. Some of my Anglican pastor friends preach solid sermons, as do my more causally dressing pastor friends. But there was a need in the purifying battles of the post-Reformation period for reforms to be root and branch. We can all agree on the root reforms more easily than the branch reforms.
The chapter I am currently reading is on the topic of bishops and episcopacy. For clarification, I am a Presbyterian with low views of presbytery connections who is a part of a Southern Baptist church that seems to have no views of denominational connections. (Long story there that I will forego telling.)
“Bishops” is a biblical word that seems to be wrongly used by some and ignored by others. I am constantly astounded by churches that proclaim adherence to the Bible as the truth, but they ignore Biblical teachings and examples regarding ministry. Churches today often have a pastor and a staff of others that includes music ministers, assistant pastors, associate pastors, youth pastors, senior pastors, etc.
But what about elders? The eldership is not a vaguely mentioned, scarcely noticed concept in the Bible. The Reformers, the Puritans, the Covenanters, and their American heirs would never have skipped past such issues and raced on to make plans for a summer softball league. And the churches are groaning because we don’t have proper, Biblical leadership. And head pastors are flailing and failing because we have elevated their office to a multitasking monstrousity.
The Reformation of the Church is not going to be a chapter-by-chapter resource for quickly solving church problems. Most of what I as a former pastor and you as a pastor or layman are facing will not show up in black and white print in this book.
So why read it? Part of our problem today is simply that—it is a problem today. We have no historical depth, no rooted convictions, no history to guide us (other than last year’s business meeting minutes). We are thinking like Moderns. That also means that we are not thinking at all.
The Reformation of the Church should be either assigned as a whole or in part for students seriously studying church history. (Okay, that sold a few copies.) But men training for the pastorate should also read it. (Sales bumped up a bit.) The huge numbers of wide-eyed Christians who are part of “worship teams” should also read it in order to find the Reformation and Puritan roots of “worship teams.” (I don’t expect any rush to purchase from that statement.) The Christian in the pew might be okay with focusing on issues other than those in this book, but that is true only if he or she is in a church where the leadership understands this book.
One other reason for reading this book: Iain Murray is the editor of this work. He is the best popular church historian and biographer of our time. His many books have laid out the names and stories of many great leaders in church history particularly in the British Isles. His biographies of Martyn Lloyd-Jones and Jonathan Edwards are classics. His labors with Banner of Truth are sterling.
So, prepare to slog through the book. Read slowly and wonder how the seemingly arcane discussions of the past reveal weaknesses today that you and I have not taken seriously. This won’t necessarily be an easy read, but it will be profitable.
Share this:
October 28, 2021
Collection d'écrits des réformateurs et des puritains sur l'Eglise. Utile pour voir à quel point l'organisation de l'église et la centralité de la parole de Dieu étaient importants pour nos prédécesseurs.
May 28, 2020
This book is full of primary sources from those writing during the Reformation. It contains helpful reminders of the necessity of the centrality of God's word for the reform of the church.
June 30, 2022
Some selections were difficult to get through, but most were very helpful - considering the practice of the regulative principle, the difference between Presbyterian and Independent polity, and the need for unity among churches.
It’s encouraging reading these principles in primary sources. It often felt like reading a 9Marks book in less modern style.
It’s encouraging reading these principles in primary sources. It often felt like reading a 9Marks book in less modern style.
October 17, 2020
Murray is at least as qualified as an editor as he is an evangelical historian. I’m grateful for his curation of Reformation and Puritan era documents, as a lens through which to see churches today.
January 3, 2026
Iain Murray compiles a sum of writings from the reformation and they go over why people left the Catholic Church! A lot of Catholics use the argument that Protestantism appeared out of nowhere and there is no good basis for it but this book goes over mistreatment of the Catholic Church, wrong doctrine, and more!
June 5, 2018
This book is not a page-turner and it's not gripping, at least, not to me. I wouldn't even call it a good book. But it is a helpful book. The collection of Reformed and Puritan documents regarding the church are worth referencing and Murray's introductions of the documents are interesting. Like usual, Murray does a great job of giving historical context to his work. I'll use this as a reference tool but probably won't read it again.
March 19, 2015
As a collection of reformed and puritan documents on church issues, it is a dry and difficult read. However, it is a useful tool for discovering the development in the way the reformed tradition understood the church. I'm not sure I would have read this had someone not made me read it, but having now read it, I am glad I did.
Read
September 16, 2012Everything Murray writes about church history is worth reading.
December 17, 2016
A second read.
A useful, though largely one-sided, collection of original documents from the puritan period.
Liked it.
A useful, though largely one-sided, collection of original documents from the puritan period.
Liked it.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews