The Scripture directory for church-officers and people, or, A practical commentary upon the whole…

Lastly, Because of that proneness to degenerate, and from gold to become dross. Hence God hath in mercy raised up Reformers, and stirred up men with invincible zeal, being full of the holy Ghost, who have laboured to bring Churches to their first plantations and institution. Thus the Jews, a people planted by God, yet many times so grossly corrupted through Idolatry and profaneness, that the Governors thereof are called Princes of Sodom and Gomorrah, Isa. 1. Now to purge this fountain, How many zealous Prophets did God raise up in his time? And thus after Christs time, when the wine of Gods Word began to be mingled with the water of mens inventions, and all Religion was turned into a mere Pageantry, as in Popery, God then raised up Luther, Melanchthon, Calvin, and others, by whose means Christ became known again. Now there is a great difference between a plantation, and a Reformation. A Reformation doth not pretend to make new Churches, to bring a new faith in the world, as a plantation doth, but only to file off all the rust that hath been by long custom upon the Church of God; Plantation is to make Heathens and Pagans, Christians; but Reformation is to make degenerate Christians, who have degenerated in their knowledge, worship and life, to make such remember their first institution, such ignorance and profaneness was not at the first.

Lastly, Because of that pronenesse to degenerate, and from gold to become drosse. Hence God hath in mercy raised up Reformers, and stirred up men with invincible zeal, being full of the holy Ghost, who have laboured to bring Churches to their first plantations and institution. Thus the Jews, a people planted by God, yet many times so grosly corrupted through Idolatry and prophanenesse, that the Governours thereof are called Princes of Sodom and Gomorrah, Isa. 1. Now to purge this fountain, How many zealous Prophets did God raise up in his time? And thus after Christs time, when the wine of Gods Word began to be mingled with the water of mens inventions, and all Religion was turned into a meer Pageantry, as in Popery, God then raised up Luther, Melancthon, Calvin, and others, by whose means Christ became known again. Now there is a great difference between a plantation, and a Reformation. A Reformation doth not pretend to make new Churches, to bring a new faith in the world, as a plantation doth, but only to file off all the rust that hath been by long custome upon the Church of God; Plantation is to make Heathens and Pagans, Christians; but Reformation is to make degenerate Christians, who have degenerated in their knowledge, worship and life, to make such remember their first intitution, such ignorance and prophanenesse was not at the first.