18-Appendix 6: The English Reformation

In the body of this book, I argued that although the history of
Israel in the old covenant, and the history of the ekklēsia in the
new covenant, both record serious departures from Scripture,
even so God used the old-covenant history, and continues to
use the unfolding new-covenant history, to bring about his
eternal fixed purpose. In this Appendix, I want to argue that the
English Reformation serves to illustrate this point: although
events were deeply spoiled by sin, even so God brought good
from those events, and accomplished his purpose by means of
them while he, himself remained untainted. And there is no
doubt that although the Reformation was not an unmitigated
success, even so God certainly used it – and worked in and
through it – to effect massive changes for good. Nowhere is this
more true than in England.