Around 1750 Reformed theology everywhere fell into decay. The elements responsible for this decomposition, already present in the previous century, continued to have their effect, undermining dogmatics. After Cocceianism in the Netherlands had emerged victorious came the Ear of Toleration (1740–70). The power of truth was denied; people retreated from the church’s confessions to Scripture and abandoned doctrines characteristic for the Reformed faith, such as original sin, the covenant of works, limited atonement, etc. In beautiful dress and the name of being biblical, a variety of Remonstrant and Socinian errors rose to the surface. At best, those who professed the Reformed religion accepted the theology that they had “in stock,” but they no longer had their hearts in it, nor did they any longer speak out of its content. The old dogmatics [simply] became an object of historical study.

Herman Bavinck, Reformed Dogmatics: Prolegomena, I:189.