{Book Review} The Reformation of the Church

The Reformation of the Church: A Collection of Reformed and Puritan Documents on Church Issues is published by Banner of Truth. This book was first published in 1965, but it has recently (2021) been republished and retypeset. These writings were selected and introduced by Iain Murray. 

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The Reformation of the Church: A Collection of Reformed and Puritan Documents on Church Issues

This is a very unique book that is also very timely for the church. The documents were mainly written during the period of 1550-1662. Some things never change, and even today, Scripture is often dismissed in conversations about the life and ordering of the church. Instead, the Reformers and the Puritans firmly believed that Holy Scripture is sufficient for such issues, and they sought to bring everything to the judgment of Scripture. Believe me when I say that this book needs to be read, studied, and cherished today! 

Five Sections

The book consists of five different sections that tackle church issues.

1. Section I covers the nature of the church;
2. Section II, The Rule for Reformation – The Word of God;
3. Section III, The Need for Reformation;
4. Section IV, New Testament Church Government; and
5. Section V, The Unity of the Church.

The two appendices at the back deal with church membership of children, and Episcopalian writers on church government. 

By the time I arrived in section 2, I was hooked. The chapters that deal with the Regulative Principle of Worship are very persuasive and will instill confidence in the Word of God into the reader. I found section 4 to be extremely enlightening when it comes to church government. This section contains 8 chapters that look at documents on presbyterian and congregational church polity. 

Strengths of The Reformation of the Church

This was an excellent read, and will continue to be an excellent resource that I reference from time to time. Here are some the strengths of the book: 

• Iain Murray provides a 1-2 page introduction to every chapter. He provides the historical background and helps the reader to grasp the context and the purpose of the writing. Murray’s contributions are a huge part of what makes this book so wonderful.
• The authors of the documents that have been collected in this book are an All-Star team! These are the theological heroes of many Protestant Christians today. Some of the authors include Martin Luther, William Ames, Charles Hodge, the Westminster Divines, Jeremiah Burroughs, John Owen, and more. 
• The English is updated and made easy to read! This is a huge bonus for most of us. 
• The content of this book, as mentioned above, is very relevant to the church today. 

I hope that many people will benefit from these excellent documents that have been collected for the church to learn from today. Tolle lege, take up and read! 

Disclaimer: My thanks to Banner of Truth for providing me with a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased review. The opinions expressed are my own.