Church Halfly Reformed

A Church Halfly Reformed
by Peter Adam

Introduction

In William Fuller's 'Booke to the queene', he complains that Queen Elizabeth 'hath so insufficientlie heard, believed, and taken to heart what God hath commanded you, and so weakly and coldly obeyed', that 'but halflie by your majesty hath God been honoured, his church reformed and established, his people taught and comforted.'[1] His complaint is of a church 'but halfly reformed', a church in which the Reformation has proceeded 'but halfly forward and more than halfly backward.'[2] The great Puritan plan to reform the national church was to continue for one hundred years. Some gave up the attempt and started new churches in the American colonies; many resigned in 1662 rather than continue ministry in a church that made unacceptable demands on them, and was so resistant to reform.

The subject of this lecture is the reformation of the church. We will outline the Puritan attempt to reform the church by political action and by the preaching of the word. We will identify with the great dilemma of those who wish to purify the church in any age; how can we best achieve reformation, and what should we do when that reformation limps on 'but halfly forward', or when it seems to be going backward? This is the problem of living in a mixed church, when those opposed to its reformation by the word of God seem to have power and influence, and when ungodly patterns of life and ministry seem to be increasing. The dilemma of the Puritans from 1559 to 1662 is shared by would-be reformers in every age, not least at the end of the 20th century.

For more on Reformed Anglicans, see:
Church Halfly Reformed