# Marks of religious declension



## PuritanCovenanter (Feb 18, 2009)

Pastor Andy Webb posted this on facebook and I thought it was awesome. Piercing it is. 



> MARKS OF RELIGIOUS DECLENSION
> 
> American Tract Society (vol.10 #353)
> 
> ...


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## SolaScriptura (Feb 18, 2009)

Very penetrating indeed!


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## SEAGOON (Feb 18, 2009)

Hi Martin,

Thanks for posting this, I should note that I discovered this 19th century list (1861 or before) some time ago during a digital archive search at Princeton Theological Seminary for another work and since that time it's been helpful and certainly humbling to me in meditation and self-examination. I've been trying to track down the author but still haven't been successful - any help you can offer in this would be appreciated. btw - declension means "deterioration; decline"

- Andy


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## Kim G (Feb 18, 2009)

Thank you for posting this. I want to read it a few more times after I have a chance to bind my wounds from all the poking this article did.


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## Theognome (Feb 18, 2009)

Great post. 

Seeing declension in a society as opposed to an individual is much easier. Just look at the art said society produces. The more crude and/or abstract, the farther from God.

Theognome


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## PuritanCovenanter (Feb 18, 2009)

SEAGOON said:


> Hi Martin,
> 
> Thanks for posting this, I should note that I discovered this 19th century list (1861 or before) some time ago during a digital archive search at Princeton Theological Seminary for another work and since that time it's been helpful and certainly humbling to me in meditation and self-examination. I've been trying to track down the author but still haven't been successful - any help you can offer in this would be appreciated. btw - declension means "deterioration; decline"
> 
> - Andy



Thanks Pastor. You are one Pastoral dude. I needed that. Keep tending the flock within your reach. You never know who you will help draw closer to truth.


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## Knoxienne (Feb 18, 2009)

PuritanCovenanter said:


> Pastor Andy Webb posted this on facebook and I thought it was awesome. Piercing it is.
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Amen. Good principles to meditate on.


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## py3ak (Feb 18, 2009)

Theognome said:


> Great post.
> 
> Seeing declension in a society as opposed to an individual is much easier. Just look at the art said society produces. The more crude and/or abstract, the farther from God.
> 
> Theognome



Interesting thesis. However, wasn't some of the catacomb art fairly unpolished? Or by crude did you mean crass rather than inchoate or awkward?


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## Theognome (Feb 18, 2009)

py3ak said:


> Theognome said:
> 
> 
> > Great post.
> ...



Darn short thesis. As far as crude goes, it's the latter rather than the former. When the subject matter seeks to be erotic or glorifying sinful acts, it's crude.

Crude is also unrefined oil.


Theognome


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## py3ak (Feb 18, 2009)

Did you maybe mean to say _*former* rather than the *latter*_? Otherwise the two sentences seem to contradict (or I am not seeing the proper referent of latter).


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## TheocraticMonarchist (Feb 18, 2009)

Thanks! I'm going to prayerfully go over this list


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## Theognome (Feb 18, 2009)

py3ak said:


> Did you maybe mean to say _*former* rather than the *latter*_? Otherwise the two sentences seem to contradict (or I am not seeing the proper referent of latter).




Uh... yeah. Silly me.

Theognome


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