The True Profession of the Gospel

"Whilst the Calvinistic doctrines were the language of our pulpits as well as of our Articles, the Reformation made a swift and extensive progress. But ever since our Articles and our pulpits have been at variance, the Reformation has been at a stand." (Augustus Montague Toplady) At every Coronation for over three hundred years, British Monarchs have promised to maintain, "the true profession of the gospel... the Protestant Reformed religion." At a time when many Evangelicals and Anglicans are questioning their theology and re-thinking their identity, it is more important than ever for us to remember this gospel of sovereign grace. This book shows how God has used the Reformed gospel of 'grace alone' to revitalise churches riddled with immorality and flagging in meaning and purpose. With a focus on hymn-writer and theologian Augustus Toplady, it retells the story of Reformation and Revival for a new generation looking to draw strength from its roots. "Toplady represented a strand of Anglicanism which sought to stand in continuity with both the Church of England's Reformation roots and the more precise articulation of Reformed Orthodoxy. Lee Gatiss does a fine job of recovering this aspect of Toplady for today." (Carl Trueman, Westminster Theological Seminary) "Readers will find this study at once encouraging and challenging. It is a strong example of the way in which historical writing can be both responsible and transparently useful for the church today." (Garry Williams, The John Owen Centre, London). Lee Gatiss is a graduate of New College (Oxford), Oak Hill (London), and Westminster Seminary (Philadelphia), and has worked for churches in Oxford, Kettering, and London. He and his family live in Cambridge where he is researching seventeenth century biblical interpretation.