The Necessity Of Reforming The Church

The Necessity of Reforming the Church is a seminal work of Protestant theology, written by Jean Calvin in the 16th century. The book argues for a radical reform of the Catholic Church, emphasizing the importance of Biblical authority and individual conscience. This edition also includes a paternal admonition by Pope Paul III to the Emperor Charles V, and remarks on the paternal admonition. This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work is in the "public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.

Presents an electronic version of "The Necessity of Reforming the Church (1543)" by John Calvin. Offers access to a publisher's introduction. Examines the need for reformation and answers some objections to reformation. Notes that the text has been grammatically revised to reflect greater conformity to contemporary spelling, punctuation, and usage and that chapter divisions and headings have been added merely as an aid for contemporary readers, but are not part of the original text. Provides information on ordering a print form of the document that include scripture and subject indexes. Links to the home page of Still Waters Revival Books (SWRB) in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.

"In the sixteenth century, no one denied that the church had problems. It was beset by ignorance, corruption, and greed among its clergy and by moral laxity, superstition, and doctrinal confusion among its laity. The time was ripe for change. But what kind? And how was such change to occur? The Protestant Reformers initially strove to reform the church from within. But they soon concluded that its leaders and structures made impossible the kind of reforms that were necessary. As a result, they broke away and formed new churches, but they did not do so lightly. In The Necessity of Reforming the Church, John Calvin offers a full-throated defense of the Reformation. Writing to Emperor Charles V, he explains how the church had drifted from the teachings of Christ in several areas, including right worship, the way of salvation, the sacraments, and the government of the church. In so doing, he issues a call for the church to be continually reformed according to the Word of God. This new translation by Casey Carmichael, with introductory material by W. Robert Godfrey, promises to make this important work accessible to a new generation. Also included is Calvin's A Reply to Cardinal Sadoleto"--

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1843 edition. Excerpt: ... not attempted any thing rashly, any thing alien from our duty; have, in fine, done nothing until compelled by the highest necessity. To enable me to prove this, it is necessary to attend to the matters in dispute. We maintain, then, that atthe commencement, when God raised up Luther and others, who held forth a torch to light us into the way of salvation, and who, by their ministry, founded and reared our churches, those heads of doctrine in which the truth of our religion, those in which the pure and legitimate worship of God, and those in which the salvation of men are comprehended, were in a great measure obsolete. We maintain that the use of the sacraments was in many ways vitiated and polluted. And we maintain that the government of the Church was converted into a species of foul and insufferable tyranny. But, perhaps these averments have not force enough to move certain individuals until they are better explained. This, therefore, I will do, not as the subject demands, but as far as my ability will permit. Here, however, I have no intention to review and discuss all our controversies; that would require a long discourse, and this is not the place for it. I wish only to show how just and necessary the causes which forced upon us the changes for which we are blamed. To accomplish this, I must take up together the three following points. First, I must briefly enumerate the evils which compelled us to seek for remedies. Secondly, I must show that the particular remedies which our Reformers employed were apt and salutary. Thirdly, I must make it plain that we were not at liberty any longer to delay putting forth our hand, seeing that the matter demanded instant amendment. The first point, as I merely advert to it for the purpose of...