Why, brethren, we want every now and then to have a reformation. One reformation will never serve the church; she needs continually to be wound up and set a-going afresh; for her works run down, and she does not act as she used to do. The bold, bald doctrines that Luther brought out began to be a little modified until layer after layer was deposited upon them, and at last the old rocky truth was covered up, and there grew upon the superficial subsoil an abundance of green and flowery errors that looked fair and beautiful, but were in no way whatever related to the truth, except as they were the products of its decay. 

Then there came bold men who brought the truth out again and said, “Clear away this rubbish; let the light blast upon these deceitful beauties; we want them not; bring out the old truth once more!”