Woe be unto the pastors that destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture! saith the LORD. Therefore thus saith the LORD God of Israel against the pastors that feed my people; Ye have scattered my flock, and driven them away, and have not visited them: behold, I will visit upon you the evil of your doings, saith the LORD. And I will gather the remnant of my flock out of all countries whither I have driven them, and will bring them again to their folds; and they shall be fruitful and increase.
— Jeremiah 23:1-3
Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.
— 2 Thessalonians 2:3-4
Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron; Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth.
— 1 Timothy 4:1-3
This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,
— 2 Timothy 3:1-3
For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.
— 2 Timothy 4:3-4
Apostasy From the Mystery, Truth, or Doctrine of the Gospel, by John Owen. The following contains Chapter Three of his work, “The Nature and Causes of Apostasy from the Gospel.”
Search the Scriptures.
— John 5:39a
For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, and have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come, if they shall fall away, to renew them again to repentance; seeing they crucify again to themselves the Son of God, and put him to open shame.
— Hebrews 6:4-6
Apostasy From the Mystery, Truth, or Doctrine of the Gospel — Proneness of Persons and Churches Thereunto — Proved by All Sorts of Instances
There are three essential components in the gospel: 1. The mystery of its doctrine, which is the subject of faith; 2. The righteousness of its teachings, which form the basis of our obedience; and 3. The purity of its worship practices, which test our faith and obedience in relation to their declaration. We need to examine these aspects with regard to the facts, reasons, causes, and circumstances of the apostasy from them that exists in the world. We can find examples of this in each of the mentioned components in our current times, which are both regrettable and foreboding. However, I won’t limit myself to the present era or to events that have occurred among us, but will consider matters in relation to the entire history and development of religion since the initial preaching and announcement of the gospel.
First, the mystery of the gospel’s truth or doctrine, which is the focus of our faith, forms the foundation of its teachings and practices, the holiness it demands, and the worship it prescribes. If this is abandoned, the other elements cannot be maintained. People may claim to follow the truth but not actually obey it (Titus 1:16, 2 Timothy 3:5); however, without genuinely believing it, no one can obey as they should. The obedience the gospel calls for is the “obedience of faith” (Romans 1:5) or being “obedient to the faith” (Acts 6:7). It is this “grace of God” alone that teaches people to reject all ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously, and devoutly in the present world in a way that is acceptable to God (Titus 2:11-12). Therefore, whenever this is rejected, renounced, forsaken, or deviated from, there is and will be a departure from all other aspects of the gospel. This is what we must investigate.
In our examination, we will find that all sorts of people and churches have always been highly prone to deviate from the mystery and truth of the gospel’s doctrine. They have done so accordingly, and those in the world today continue to share this tendency and inclination. While it is clear that no evil practices are tolerated based on this assumption, it would be desirable for those who feel secure in this matter, based on principles they find satisfactory, not to be too harsh in their criticism of those who cannot help but be concerned for themselves and others.
The great apostle Paul himself considered the primary accomplishment of his successful ministry to be that he had “kept the faith” (2 Timothy 4:6-8). He says,”I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day.” Of all the achievements that paved the way for the triumphant glory he was now anticipating, he specifically emphasized that he had “kept the faith.” He didn’t do this without a fierce battle and struggle, highlighting the importance and difficulty of something that many assume is common and easy, requiring little vigilance or care.
The frequent and serious charges, along with the heartfelt exhortations he gives to Timothy, demonstrate the importance he placed on this matter, the challenges it posed, and the risks of failure associated with it (1 Timothy 6:20-21; 2 Timothy 1:13-14). The same apostle also explicitly mentions some people’s tendency to abandon the truth of the gospel. Therefore, he advises that they be rebuked firmly so that they may be “sound in the faith, not giving heed to Jewish fables and commandments of men, turning from the truth” (Titus 1:13-14). There would be no need for some to “earnestly contend for the faith once delivered to the saints” (Jude 3) if others were not so ready to corrupt and turn away from it.
Examples of this situation and outcome among all the churches worldwide, since their initial establishment through the gospel’s doctrine, will provide more evidence for our claim and a clear explanation of the matter of fact we are investigating. Although I want to focus on the full revelation of Christ’s mystery, I will not discuss the Jewish church under the Old Testament. However, it is well-known that from their first transgression in making the golden calf, where, as God laments, they quickly deviated from the path, they were continually prone to all sorts of apostasy. In the end, the majority of them fell away from Abraham’s promise and covenant due to their unbelief, as the apostle Paul describes in Romans 11. It is worrisome that the appearance and claims of some Christian churches to have achieved better results have the sole advantage that their actions and practices are not recorded by the Spirit of God, as was the case with the Jews. But I will not focus on that example. Among all the churches that exist or have ever existed, those gathered and established by the apostles themselves had the greatest advantage in understanding the gospel’s mystery and truth and the most compelling reasons for steadfastness and perseverance in it. Considering the ability of their teachers to reveal “all of God’s counsel” and their faithfulness in “not withholding anything that was profitable for them” (Acts 20:18-21, 26, 27), their authority as being sent directly by Jesus Christ, and their absolute infallibility in all their teachings, one would rationally think there would be no opportunity or excuse for anyone to deviate from the doctrine they were taught or for Satan or deceivers to influence them. Undoubtedly, most of us assume that if we were taught by the apostles themselves, nothing could ever tempt us to doubt or waver, much less abandon any truth we were taught. However, this thought is not unlike the rich man’s belief in hell, who assumed that if someone rose from the dead to warn his siblings, they would repent and turn to God. But just as Abraham told him,”if they would not believe Moses and the prophets, neither would they believe if someone rose from the dead,” we would not be more steadfast in the gospel’s doctrine as revealed in the Scripture if we had been taught by all the apostles together. We can find an example of this tendency to abandon evangelical principles in most of the churches called and gathered by the apostles, whose faith and practice are documented in their writings.
The church of Corinth was founded by the apostle Paul and nurtured by Apollos, the great evangelist. There is no doubt that they were thoroughly educated in all the gospel’s principles, as evidenced by the abundance of spiritual gifts they received, more than any other church. However, within a few years, before Paul wrote his first letter to them, which was no more than five or six years at most, many of them fell into the fundamental error of denying the resurrection of the dead. As the apostle explains, this completely nullified Christ’s death and resurrection, making what remained of their faith utterly pointless (1 Corinthians 15:12-18).
The churches of Galatia provide an even more striking example. They were converted to Christ’s faith and established in their church state through the ministry of the same apostle. Although Paul instructed them in all of God’s counsel, it is likely that he focused on establishing them in the knowledge and faith of God’s grace in Christ and the free justification of believers by faith in him or his blood alone. Paul consistently stated that this was his primary goal and objective in his entire ministry. They received this doctrine with so much joy and satisfaction that they regarded the apostle as an angel of God, welcomed him as Jesus Christ, and valued him more than their own sight (Galatians 4:14-15). Yet, despite all this, they suddenly abandoned the doctrine of grace and justification by faith alone to pursue righteousness through the works of the law (Galatians 3:1). Despite the clear demonstration of the truth they had received and their experience of the word’s power (mentioned in verse 2), they abruptly fell away from it.
As the foundation of this apostasy lay in the uncured folly and vanity of their minds (as we shall see later is the case in all similar situations), the strange and perhaps universal nature of the event led the apostle to wonder if there was some unusual fascination or spiritual witchcraft at play. We have witnessed individuals among us who, within a day or two, have renounced all the principles of truth they have been taught and embraced a set of notions diametrically opposed to them, leading some to believe there has been a genuine diabolical fascination involved. This apostasy of the Galatians was so severe that the apostle definitively declared that Christ and all the benefits of his death were renounced in the process.
Therefore, although we may be troubled by it and lament the fact that various individuals are so quick to abandon the same truth in the same manner, we should not find it strange or be disturbed by it, given that entire churches called and instructed in the truth, and specifically by the apostle himself, fell away in a short time after their initial establishment.
It is highly likely that those who tried to deceive the Colossians with “philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition” (Colossians 2:8) had significant success among them. They were enticed and misled by things that diverted them from “holding on to the Head” and led them to the intricate speculations of men “inflated by their unspiritual minds” (verses 18-19). Similar situations can be observed in most of the other churches to which the epistles are addressed.
In the letters to individual people, such as Timothy and Titus, Paul warns them of everyone’s tendency to turn away from the truth, providing specific examples of individuals who had done so themselves and actively sought to undermine the faith of others. The apostle John lived long enough to witness more of these tragic departures from the truth and abandonment of the gospel’s mysteries. As a result, in his letters, he explicitly describes the apostasies occurring among those professing the gospel, the deceivers, their pretenses that promoted the apostasies, and the dangers and various duties believers needed to be aware of for their preservation. Jude’s letter is written for the same purpose. It is also well-known that most of the churches that received Jesus Christ’s visitation, during which he examined and judged their state and condition, their stability in and deviation from the truth, were found guilty of some degree of backsliding and apostasy, for which they were sternly reprimanded.
We can never truly comprehend the deep negligence and complacency of most churches and followers in the world concerning their commitment to the mysteries and truths of the gospel. Some believe they have a privilege that prevents them from ever deviating or being mistaken about these truths, even though they have been immersed in all kinds of wickedness and spiritual complacency for the past sixteen hundred years. Others are reckless and careless under their profession, barely distinguishing between truth and error; or, at any rate, they assume that remaining true to the teachings they have received is not a significant accomplishment.
These attitudes have led most churches and communities to fall under the power of the apostasy that will be revealed later. However, if the churches established by the apostles themselves were prone to such defections, and many of them did, at least temporarily, abandon the most crucial doctrines of the gospel (from which they might never have recovered if not for the timely intervention of apostolic authority and wisdom), can we, without their advantages or some of the evidence of truth they had, and with all the same internal and external causes for apostasy to test us, expect to be preserved unless we vigilantly and cautiously attend to all the ways and means by which we can be protected? But more on this will be discussed later.
Next, we may inquire about the state of the churches after the completion of the sacred records and the death of the apostles and all other divinely inspired individuals. Some would have us believe that everything was well, at least for a long period, and some even believe that things are still fine to this day. Everything that was believed and practiced among those early churches must be considered almost as sacred as the gospel itself and made a part of the rule of our faith and worship. It seems that those very churches, which were so prone to errors and following their own ideas or complying with others’ inventions during the apostles’ time, and while under their supervision, suddenly experienced a transformation when no longer under apostolic care and oversight. They became steadfast and unshakable, never deviating from the truth and rule of the gospel. Personally, I have as much respect and reverence for the early churches of the first, second, and third centuries as I believe anyone alive can justly have; but the notion that they never deviated from the grace, mystery, truth, or rule of the gospel, that they never allowed “empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world,” is contradicted by substantial evidence. Only those who strongly wish this to be true and have their gullibility at their disposal can believe it. Therefore, I will briefly investigate what was prophesied to happen among those churches and what actually transpired.
The apostle Paul tells the elders of the church of Ephesus that “he knew that after his departure, savage wolves would enter among them, not sparing the flock,” Acts 20:29. Although he compares them to devouring wolves, he does not mean bloody persecutors using external force; the expression “shall enter in among you” indicates their admission into the church’s society and conversation under the pretense of sharing the same religious beliefs. They are, therefore, heretics and deceivers who lie in wait to deceive through various tricks and cunning schemes, not genuinely belonging to the church or the flock of sheep, but being predatory wolves. The same individuals are referred to by Peter as “false teachers” who would “secretly bring in destructive heresies, denying the Lord who bought them,” 2 Peter 2:1. The apostle also adds,”even from your own number, men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them,” Acts 20:30. I do not believe that the apostle, in that expression “even from your own number,” specifically meant any of those who were personally present with him; at least, it is not necessary for us to assume so. Rather, those who would quickly succeed in their role and position are meant. All the twisted teachings they would propagate, being contrary to the gospel doctrine, would involve various degrees of apostasy. The fact that they succeeded in this endeavour, and that the church was contaminated and corrupted by them, is evident from the fact that not long after, the church is accused by Jesus of having fallen in various ways from its initial purity, Revelation 2:4, 5. He also assures Timothy that the time would come, and soon (as suggested by the preventative measures he prescribes, 2 Timothy 4:1, 2), when people “will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths,” verses 3, 4 – a clear prediction of the deviation from the gospel truth and purity that would afflict the churches, and indeed did so. He emphasises the danger of this more forcefully, as if inspired by prophecy, in 1 Timothy 4:1, 2,”The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons.” By the phrase “The Spirit clearly says,” the apostle does not mean a plain, distinct revelation made only to himself, but rather that the infallible Spirit of God, which guided him and the other apostles, consistently testified to the same thing. It is a phrase not unlike the one he uses in Acts 20:23,”The Holy Spirit testifies in every city;” meaning that in all places, those who were divinely inspired agreed on the same prediction.
The apostles, I believe, consistently informed the churches that after the gospel had been accepted and professed for some time, there would be a significant apostasy from the truth and worship of it. Jude tells them in verses 17 and 18 that “the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ warned them that in the last days there would be mockers who would follow their ungodly desires.” All the apostles agreed on this prediction and cautioned the churches about it. John expresses this in 1 John 4:3,”This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard was coming.” He speaks of the coming of the antichrist and the accompanying apostasy from the faith as something they had been fully instructed about. The apostle Paul also mentions it as something they were not only warned about but also given specific details; details that may not have been appropriate to mention publicly at the time, for fear of causing offence. “There must,” he says,”be a falling away,” or an apostasy from the faith, led by “the man of sin.” And he adds,”Don’t you remember that when I was with you, I used to tell you these things? And now you know what is holding him back,” 2 Thessalonians 2:3, 5, 6. He had both informed them of the apostasy and shared one particular aspect of it, which he does not mention now.
This being the significant testimony of the Spirit of God in those days – that the visible church would fall away from the faith – one of the main ways Satan accomplished this was by promoting a contrary revelation and principle, for example, that this or that church, such as the Church of Rome, was infallible and incapable of defect, and could never fall away from the faith. In this way, he wiped out the earlier warnings given by the Spirit to the churches, making them feel secure and undermining the purpose of the prediction. By doing so, he not only led people imperceptibly into the greatest apostasy, but also taught them to stubbornly cling to their actions and confidently justify themselves in doing so. However, the Holy Spirit gave many other warnings about the churches’ eventual deviation from the gospel’s mystery; warnings that, when neglected by complacent believers and with their faith being weakened and attacked by countless schemes, led to their apostasy. With these things being so explicitly foretold by the Spirit of God, we can briefly investigate the outcome of the predictions mentioned and whether they indeed came to pass or not.
A general account of the state of the church after the days of the apostles is given to us by Hegesippus, who lived in the next era after them, as recorded by Eusebius in Book 3, Chapter 32. Describing the martyrdom of Simon, the son of Cleopas, he adds: “Until these times, the church remained a pure and uncorrupted virgin, with those who tried to corrupt the rule of saving truth, if there were any, hiding in obscurity. But after the holy group of apostles met their respective ends, and that generation had passed away, the ones who had heard divine wisdom with their own ears, a conspiracy of wicked error began to take place due to the seductions of those teaching strange doctrines. And when none of the apostles were left, they started to openly oppose the preaching of the truth with their falsely named knowledge.”
We have already seen that there were many deviations during the days of the apostles themselves. However, as they were jealous over all the churches with godly jealousy – having “espoused them to one husband” and taking care “to present them as a chaste virgin unto Christ” (words Hegesippus alludes to) – they watched against all ways and means whereby, as “the serpent deceived Eve through his cunning, their minds would be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ,” by teaching other doctrines than what they had received from them, as Paul speaks in 2 Corinthians 11:2-4. Due to their wisdom, diligence, and watchfulness, for the most part, the churches were soon brought back from their wanderings and recovered from their mistakes. Hence, this holy man declared the church a pure virgin during the days of the apostles and their oversight, at least in comparison to what came after; for he admits that they became considerably corrupted and defiled soon after, meaning they had fallen away from “the simplicity that is in Christ.” It is possible he was referring to the very things that later ages used as their example. Indeed, things quickly progressed to a state in the world, which mostly continues to this day, where people desired no greater justification for their religious practices than the shadow or appearance of anything that had been used or had prevailed among those churches, even though they were evidently deviating from the simplicity that is in Christ.
This account provides a general testimony of the fulfilment of the predictions mentioned earlier, concerning a decline from the power, purity, and simplicity of the gospel. Whatever is intended here, it must be seen as the very beginning and entrance of the apostasy that followed, which can barely be noticed in comparison to the excess it quickly led to. Specifically, the aspects of the sacred predictions mentioned can be divided into four categories: 1. “Men from among themselves speaking perverse things.” 2. “Grievous wolves entering in, not sparing the flock.” 3. Weariness, and “not enduring sound doctrine,” but turning the mind towards fables and away from the truth. 4. A gradual, secret, mysterious work of a general apostasy in the whole visible church. It could be easily demonstrated by instances how all these had their particular fulfilment, until the entire apostasy foretold was formed and completed. We may give some brief remarks on them all:
1. It cannot be denied that many of the principal teachers in the first ages of the church after the apostles, especially among those whose writings remain for posterity, embraced and taught various things in neglect of the gospel and its simplicity. These teachings were perverse, curious, and contrary to the form of wholesome words committed to them. They appeared to be less duly conversant in evangelical mysteries with reverence and godly fear than their duty required. Instances of this could be drawn from the writings of Justin Martyr, Irenaeus, Clement, Origen, Tatian, Athenagoras, Tertullian, Lactantius, and others. However, I shall not reflect with any severity on the names and memories of those who continued to adhere to the fundamental principles of Christian religion. Through curious speculations, philosophical prejudices and notions, distorted allegorical interpretations of Scripture, and openly false opinions contradictory to the word of God, they significantly corrupted and debased the pure and holy doctrine of Jesus and his apostles.
2. The “grievous wolves” predicted, who were to “spoil the flock,” are seen as heretics of various kinds. On this account, it would seem almost unbelievable how many people of all sorts fell away from the mystery and truth of the gospel after it had been declared and professed by them, which fully confirms the assertion made earlier. Generally, they can be divided into two categories:
(1.) Of those who, in a disregard and contempt of the gospel they had received and professed, fell away into foolish, extravagant, heathenish imaginations, unintelligible endless fantasies, for the most part (as is assumed) accompanied with wicked practices. Although they retained the name of Christians, they completely and absolutely fell away from Christ and his gospel. Such were the Gnostics in all their branches and under their various names, Marcionites, Manichees, and others almost innumerable. Epiphanius, Augustine, and Philastrius have filled up their catalogues with the names, origins, opinions, and lifestyles of these groups. It may be said,”They were all people of such great abominations that they deserve no consideration among those who embrace the Christian religion.” However, the more abominable their beliefs and actions were, considering the multitudes of professed Christians who fell into them, the more effective is the testimony they give to the truth of our assertion. If there were not an indescribable tendency in the minds of people to abandon the mystery of the gospel and if it were not promoted by unimaginable folly and secret hostility against the truth, would it have been possible that so early in the church, starting immediately after the death of the apostles, such a large number of professed Christians would openly renounce those sacred truths for such harmful, foolish imaginations? These are the people who were explicitly prophesied to “bring in destructive heresies, denying the Lord that bought them, and bringing upon themselves swift destruction, many following their harmful ways; by reason of whom the way of truth would be spoken evil of,” 2 Peter 2:1-2. The heathen attributed all their impious opinions and practices to Christianity, as is evident in Origen’s reply to Celsus, among others; thus, because of them, “the way of truth was spoken evil of.”
(2.) There was another type of heresies, and thus a real apostasy from the mystery of the gospel, whose authors and followers still claimed adherence to and profession of it. These can be grouped into two categories: [1.] Concerning the person; and [2.] Concerning the grace of Christ. The first category mainly involves the Arians, who denied Christ’s deity, while the latter category involves the Pelagians, who opposed his satisfaction, merit, and grace. The first of these spread like a flood from the mouth of the old serpent and carried everything before it like a torrent; the latter insinuated itself like poison into the very core of the church. The first, like a burning fever, caused immediate death; the latter, like a gangrene or a chronic illness, slowly consumed the vital essence of religion.
In the first category, we have a tragic example of the instability of believers and their readiness to abandon the saving mysteries of the gospel. In just over half a century after its initial emergence, the majority of Christians in the world – bishops, priests, and people – fell under its influence. In their public declarations, they renounced and denied the true eternal deity of the Son of God. Having gained the support of some emperors, such as Constantius and Valens, and the approval of numerous church leaders who jointly promoted this heresy by force and deception, almost the entire world, in terms of outward profession, was led into this apostasy for a time. Some nations (such as the Goths and Vandals) continued in this state for several ages afterward. As for the latter category, or Pelagianism, it discreetly, subtly, and progressively infiltrated people’s minds to the extent that, fundamentally, it remains a significant part of the religion professed by the majority of Christians today and is still gaining ground in the world.
This is the second way of the apostasy of believers as foretold by the Holy Spirit, which occurred in such a way that the wounds inflicted on Christianity have not healed to this day.
3. Another way was that people would become tired of sound doctrine, and not being able to tolerate it any longer for reasons to be discussed later, they would turn their attention to fables and be led away from the truth. This also came to pass as prominently as the previous examples. Around the third century, it was when monkish fables began to appear in the world. These individuals, instead of focusing on the doctrines of God’s grace, justification by Christ’s blood, faith and repentance, new obedience and walking before God according to Christ’s commands and the rule of the gospel, filled their minds and satisfied their curiosity with stories of dreams and visions, angelic perfection in themselves, self-invented devotions, uncommanded mortifications, and a thousand other foolish superstitions. By such fables, countless souls were led away from the truth and simplicity of the gospel, believing that religion consisted solely in these things, and dismissing the entire doctrine of our Lord Jesus Christ and his apostles in comparison. These are specifically prophesied and described in 1 Timothy 4:1-3. The hypocrisy and lies, fabulous stories and doctrines of demons, of these individuals, so infiltrated and infected the Christian community with the belief in vain delusions and the practice of foolish superstitions, that little or nothing remained sound or healthy among them.
4. Lastly, the secret workings of the “mystery of iniquity,” through all these ways and countless other schemes used by the cunning of Satan, the vanity of human minds, and the desires of their hearts, brought about the tragic apostasy which the world suffered and was destroyed by when it reached its peak in the Papacy. The rise and progress of this widespread defection, its methods, means, and stages, its successful advance over several ages, have been exposed and revealed by many to such an extent as the nature of such a mysterious work can be uncovered in this world, that I will not need to repeat any instance of it here. In short, the doctrine of the gospel became so corrupted, and its worship so adulterated, that the waters of the sanctuary seemed, like the River Jordan, to flow into a dead sea, or, like the waters of Egypt, to be turned into blood, providing no refreshment for people’s souls. Thus, the prophetic parable of our Savior was fulfilled, as described in Luke 19:12-15, etc.
Before I proceed to discuss specific examples among ourselves, I will further confirm our general assertion by considering the second chance, if I may say so, that God gave the gospel in the world, the second trial he made with many churches and nations, and the outcome and success of it.
During the time spoken of, the church was driven into hiding, in terms of its visible profession, where it was secretly nourished by the Spirit and word of God, and the few witnesses to the truth who remained prophesied in sadness, often sealing their testimony (which disturbed and tormented the world) with their blood. But when the time came for God to graciously visit the remnant of his inheritance, he stirred up, gifted, and empowered many faithful servants of Christ, through whom the work of reformation was successfully started and carried on in many nations and churches. It is true that they did not achieve the purity and peace of the apostolic churches, nor was it absolutely aimed at by some of them. This quickly became apparent through the significant differences among them in both doctrine and worship, leading to mutual disputes and divisions that became the main obstacle to the progress of their entire work, and continue to do so to this day. Nevertheless, it was a state of blessed and useful recovery from the apostasy into errors, heresies, superstitions, and idolatries that the entire professing church in these parts of the world had fallen into. This recovery manifested itself in several ways, such as:
1. The doctrine taught by them was generally in agreement with the Scripture, which they vigorously defended against the corruptions of the previous apostasy, and the worship of the churches was freed from blatant idolatry.
2. The consciences of people, burdened, harassed, and tormented with countless vain fears, superstitions, foolish thoughts, and false beliefs, which had led them into bondage to their so-called guides of all sorts and forced them into services under the guise of religious duties, solely serving their worldly interests, were set free by the truth and directed towards gospel obedience.
3. Many were given the opportunity on behalf of Christ, not only to believe in him but also to suffer for him. As a result, no fewer numbers sealed their testimony with their blood under the control of those who supported the current apostasy than under the fury of the heathens during the initial introduction of Christianity into the world.
4. The fruits it has borne in many nations, through the genuine conversion of many people to God, their edification and holy obedience, their deep spiritual consolation in life and death, along with many other factors, testify to the divine origin of this work.
It cannot be denied that many churches, through the reformation, were brought into a state of recovery from the deadly disease they had been under. However, everyone knows that great care and diligence is needed to attain perfect health and soundness in such a situation, and to prevent a relapse; if that were to happen, the last error would be worse than the first. It might have been justly expected of them, and it was their duty, to have continued the work of reformation until they achieved a complete recovery of spiritual health. But instead, things have turned out (whose fault it is, God knows) in such a way that not only has the work received little or no improvement among themselves, in terms of increasing light, truth, and holiness, nor has it been progressive or successful in the world towards others, but it has also visibly and clearly lost its force and gone backwards on all accounts. As a result, we have another sad example of how people are prone to abandon the truths of the gospel after being instructed in them. I will only mention the well-known doctrines of the reformed churches, particularly focusing on what has happened in recent years among ourselves with a group of people that previous generations were unfamiliar with, which I will discuss separately and in detail later.
It is not a secret that many, even multitudes, are ready in all places to abandon the entire Protestant faith and religion, throwing themselves into the defeated, compromised remnants of the old apostasy. Every slight reason, every temptation of pleasure, profit, favor, and promotion turns people towards the Papacy; and some follow the same path just to satisfy their vanity in curiosity, novelty, and conformity to what is fashionable among people. Some seek refuge in it as a sanctuary from guilt, as it offers quicker ways to pacify their conscience than the faith and repentance required by the gospel. Some, having lost all sense of religion while pursuing their desires, find themselves uncomfortable in their atheism or disadvantaged by its reputation, and seek shelter in the Roman guise. Others are genuinely entangled and overcome by the power and cunning of the numerous seducers who lie in wait to deceive. One way or another, for reasons known only to themselves and theone who uses them to subvert the faith, many people in all places fall back to the Papacy daily, and the old superstition seems to be gaining new ground, ready to be reissued in the world. It is even feared that in many places there is such a widespread inclination towards defection, or such indifference to all religion, that multitudes lack nothing but a leader to guide them back to Egypt. As they have lost all sense of the power, use, and excellence of the religion, or the profession of truth, in which they were educated and instructed, and have done so by surrendering themselves to their lusts and pleasures, which will inevitably produce that cursed effect, they either embrace the Roman religion, to fill the void left by the absence of any religion they had left to themselves, or if they pretend to rise to such a level of reason as to reject the vanity and folly of that profession, and its inconsistency with all the principles of free, generous, and rational minds, they resort for a while to a sort of skeptical atheism. This, after providing them with a disappointing conversational diversion for a short time, degrades and corrupts their minds, and hands them back to what they once despised. In this way, the number of apostates grows among us every day.
However, there are other examples of people’s tendency to abandon the faith that the church reclaimed during the first reformation. How significant has the impact been on our initial profession, or at least the alteration made therein (whether for better or worse, the great day will reveal), by the system of doctrines known as Arminianism, named after its author for distinction’s sake! I am not obliged to believe what Polinburgh claims in his preface to the second part of Episcopius’ works, namely,”That most of the prelates and learned men in England share their views and judgments,” which, as stated by Episcopius, includes many Racovian additions compared to its original form. In fact, I believe that what he asserts is false and slanderous to the individuals he is referring to. Nonetheless, I also wish that too much support were not given by many to his insinuation. A recent writer, in a treatise he calls “A Sober and Compassionate Inquiry,” etc., among other things of a similar nature, imagines that some people dislike the Church of England because of its doctrine. He further assumes that they do so because it “does not agree as closely with the Synod of Dort as they would like.” To demonstrate the unreasonableness of this, he informs us,”That no single father or writer of the church, whether Greek or Latin, before St Augustine’s time, agreed in doctrine with the determinations of that synod; and as for St Augustine, he was a devout, good man, but his piety was far more commendable than his reason.” Consequently, he dismisses with indignation (as he rightly should) the idea that “a novel Dutch synod should prescribe doctrines to the Church of England and outweigh all antiquity.” He concludes his discussion with some unworthy slanders cast on the divines of that assembly, who were considered the best the reformed churches of Europe (except for France alone) could offer at that time.
However, the focus of the current project at hand was prioritized more than the truth in these statements. It is just a pretence that those whom he criticizes dislike the doctrine of the Church of England. When you consider it as contained in the Articles of Religion, the Books of Homilies, and declared in the authenticated writings of all the learned prelates and others for sixty years after the reformation, it is clear that the doctrine taught, approved, and confirmed in this church was witnessed by the entire world, and the majority of those criticized by him adhere to it devoutly. It is a departure from this doctrine that some people are complaining about, not the doctrine itself. It will be challenging to reconcile the teachings of the person previously mentioned, or Curcellaeus, with that of this church, as explained and declared in the writings of the main figures who presided, lived, and died in the communion of this church. These writings serve as a measure of the church’s doctrine in the eyes of all other churches globally.
If the doctrine established during the first reformation is continued and adhered to, there will be no differences or complaints regarding this matter. As for the disputes that have occurred, and perhaps always will, among learned individuals concerning some obscure and philosophical notions about the order of divine decrees, predetermination, human liberty’s nature, and countless other topics, they have never significantly disrupted the church’s peace. Since very few, if any, people understand these concepts, the wider Christian community is unconcerned with them, both in terms of their faith and obedience. Differences about these matters will be resolved on the last day, and perhaps, in terms of the gospel’s ultimate purpose, that is enough time.
However, the claim of this author that “no one church father or writer, Greek or Latin, before St Augustine’s time, agreed with the determinations of the Synod of Dort” is of little significance in this matter. As I suppose he may not be stating this based on his own examination and experience, but rather on the suggestions of others, it is no different from the strong claims concerning the doctrine of the Holy Trinity itself with respect to the determination and declaration made at the Council of Nicaea. It would be better if too much support had not been given to this idea by Petavius and others, whose collections of ambiguous expressions from ancient church writers and observations on them are highly praised by modern Photinians.
It may not be easy for this author to positively declare any one ancient writer’s judgment on all points of Christian belief, especially on those that had not received specific discussion due to oppositions made in their own days or before them. It is acknowledged by all that a general allowance must be given to writers’ expressions when they seem to reveal their current thoughts on specific doctrines about which there had never been any controversy in the church. The precise meaning of the words used to express their thoughts is never established until the things they signify have been thoroughly discussed. As a result, the same words have had different uses and meanings in various ages.
By this rule, it may be more accurate to say that none of the ancients before Augustine held different views except Origen and those influenced by him, as he is widely accused, on clear grounds, of paving the way for both Arianism and Pelagianism.
The criticism of Augustine, namely,”that his piety was far more commendable than his reason,” is at least as new as the Dutch synod. The intention is not to praise his piety but to discredit his reason. I must take the liberty to say that either this author has not been very familiar with the writings of this great and holy person or is a poor judge of the rational abilities of those whose writings he has studied. This confidence in delivering a judgment so contrary to the common opinion of the majority of learned men from all backgrounds in the church for twelve hundred years suggests strong bias and prejudice. However, it is somewhat comforting that the opponents of the truth he dealt with were never able to discover or exploit the weakness of his reason. It was sufficient for the work God intended for him, which was not only to curb and suppress the many cases where various cunning individuals apostatized from the gospel truths in his own time and before but also to pass on the light of truth, clearly discovered and vigorously defended, to future generations for the benefit of the church in all ages.
People may freely scorn the individuals they currently contest, against whom they have all the advantages that may encourage them to do so, and they have so much support in casting derogatory reflections on the main early reformers that they do not think they are overstepping the bounds of Christian modesty. However, I cannot guess the reason for their confidence in such judgments of Augustine’s rational abilities, although I can easily speculate on the cause. Nonetheless, it need not be given much attention, considering that a more severe judgment has recently been passed on St Paul himself by a writer of the same mindset and opinion.
There is little reason to fear, as I suppose, that a “novel Dutch synod,” as it is called, though composed of representatives from all the main reformed churches in Europe (except France),”should prescribe doctrines to the Church of England.” In that synod, the Church of England rather prescribed doctrines to the Dutch than received any from them; the leading theologians with the most influence and authority in that assembly were those of the Church of England, sent there by public authority to demonstrate the doctrine of this church and guide the Dutch towards the same beliefs.
However, returning to the topic at hand, it is to be feared that just as Pelagianism, in its initial form, subtly and gradually infiltrated the lifeblood of the church in those days, proving toxic to it, so, under its new polish and veneer, it will be accepted until it spreads into the veins and vitals of the current reformed church-state globally. I know that some, claiming a zeal for holiness and reformation of life, yet with shameful bias, accuse those doctrines as a primary cause of the decline in piety, which they cannot deny were generally believed and embraced when piety was at its peak in this nation. But this is part of the treatment the Church of England receives nowadays from her wayward descendants. The teachings of all the ancient bishops must be denounced as the means of the decay of piety; and, increasing the astonishment, it did not have this effect until it began to be publicly abandoned and renounced! Whether they are the cause of the other or not, there is a clear coincidence between the origins of our visible departure from piety and the adoption of these novel opinions, contrary to the faith of the first reformed churches, and both occurring at the same time among us.
But there is an even greater abomination taking hold among us, resulting in the complete destruction of some people’s faith and the corruption of others’ minds away from the truth of the gospel. This is the contagion of Socinianism, which stealthily infiltrates the walls and timber of the house, from which it cannot be removed. It emerged in the world some time before the other source of partial apostasy previously mentioned; however, for a considerable time, it lay fermenting in some obscure places in Poland and neighbouring countries. When the books and writings of the authors and promoters of the opinions labelled with that name eventually became known and read elsewhere, they were consistently and thoroughly refuted by learned individuals of all sorts, leading to the justified hope that it would not gain much success or progress in the world. But—
“The contagion of the defeated nation spreads wider and overwhelms its victors.” The vanity of people’s minds, their weariness of sound doctrine, which they can no longer tolerate, whatever they embrace, has allowed this to gain a foothold, either in part or in whole, among many who once professed the faith of the gospel. The entire system of these people’s opinions is essentially a collection of errors that previously troubled the church and destroyed the faith of many. The principal and most significant of these can be grouped under two headings – 1. Photinianism; and 2. Pelagianism. The first category includes their denial of the Trinity and, consequently, the divine person and incarnation of the Son of God. The second category encompasses their opposition to Christ’s satisfaction, the true nature of his priesthood and sacrifice, justification by faith in his blood and the imputation of his righteousness, the efficacy of his grace, and the corruption of our nature due to the Fall. The denial of the resurrection of the same bodies, the eternity of the punishment of the damned in hell, and other imaginative ideas were also inherited from some earlier sources.
The first part of their heresy has not yet gained much traction except among themselves, as the opposing doctrine is protected by law and the vested interests of those who benefit from its public profession. However, it is to be feared that the reluctance of many to assert and defend those fundamental gospel doctrines that they oppose, their indifference towards them, and the shocking notions and strange interpretations that some have adopted and promoted concerning the person of Christ, stem from a hidden influence on people’s minds due to the poison of their opinions and deceptive arguments. From the logical extension of their views have emerged the bold attempts of atheistic ideas and opposition to the Scripture, both in its literal form and meaning, which have recently been circulated in public writing. Imported from neighbouring countries, these ideas have found no shortage of enthusiasts among us.
But as for the latter aspect of their beliefs, or their Pelagianism, it has spread among many people who once held different views and are still committed to those beliefs. The unreasonable elevation of reason in religious matters that we see today, the new ideas people have about Christ’s satisfaction, which, while pretending to acknowledge it, actually undermine it; the harmful notion that the person of Christ has little role in religion beyond revealing and confirming the gospel; teachings about the possibility and even ease of yielding acceptable obedience to all evangelical commands without the help of effective grace, about the powers and incorruption of our nature, about justification through our own obedience, about the compatibility of gospel mysteries with unregenerate reason or an unsanctified mind, about regeneration consisting solely of reforming our lives; along with the rejection of any real internal efficacy in converting grace, and the substitution of morality for grace, the denial of any influence of grace from Jesus Christ for true holiness; and many other opinions that people take pride in, to the detriment of the doctrines received and established in the reformed churches of the past – all these are borrowed from the repositories of their imaginations, or retrieved from their rubbish heap.
I don’t know how far this infection may spread. The resurrection of the same bodies, the existence and activity of the soul in its separate state, the eternity of hell’s torments, the nature of Christ’s priestly office as distinct from his royal office, are beginning to be either questioned or weakly defended among many. There are many other harmful opinions about the Scriptures, the nature of God, his attributes and decrees, the two covenants, our union with Christ, and the gifts and operations of the Spirit, which some put forth as pure mysteries and revelations of truth, and pride themselves on being the originators or defenders of such ideas. All these came from the same source or are the result of the same corrupt fountain of Socinianism.
I believe we have sufficiently demonstrated the truth of what we previously observed about the tendency and readiness of people to abandon and fall away from the mystery and doctrine of the gospel after it has been revealed and accepted by them. We have also established the fact that such a defection has occurred and continues to happen in the world today. We now need to investigate the reasons and causes of this phenomenon. However, I must note that the primary example we have in mind, which is happening among ourselves, will be examined separately, as we will explore the specific reasons for it, in addition to the more general reasons that apply equally to all apostasies of this kind.
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