The Causes and Decay of Holiness
Posted: November 16, 2008 Filed under: John Owen Leave a commentJohn Owen on the Causes and Decay of Holiness
“In these things consisted the mystery of iniquity, the springs and occasions of that great apostasy which was in the worldunder the Papacy.
1. The doctrine of the gospel (as to its peculiar nature, the causes, motives, and ends of it) was generally lost, partly through the horrible ignorance of some, and partly through the pernicious errors of others, whose duty it was to have preserved it. And how impossible it is to maintain the life and power of obedience when this spring of it is dried up orcorrupted, when this root is withered and decayed, is not hard to apprehend. Sometimes truth is lost first in a church, and then holiness, and sometimes the decay or hatred of holiness is the cause of the loss of truth; but where either is rejected, the other win not abide, as we have declared. And so it fell out in that fatal apostasy; these evils promoted and furthered each other.”
Gospel-Centered Musings 