The Necessity of Reforming the Church

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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"--