The History of Presbyterianism in the United States Part 2: Centuries of Change D - A Survey of 19 th Presbyterianism

A Word About Labels 16 th 17 th 18 th 19 th 20 th Protestant Reformer Puritan Denominational (govt.al, theo. dist.) Converted/Unconverted Fundamentalist Evangelical Modernist

A Survey of 19 th c. Presbyterianism Francis Makemie arrived in MD st Presbytery organized, Philadelphia 1730s-43 – 1 st Great Awakening American Revolutionary War st General Assembly, PCUSA s – 2 nd Great Awakening Old School/New School Controversy – War Between the States 1861 – Presbyterians split north to south

A Cultural Legacy of the Second Great Awakening “The link between revivalism and temperance was simply one aspect of a deeper connection between the Second Great Awakening’s notion of conversion and the holy life and godly society that genuine conversion inevitably fueled.” H&M

Voluntary, “parachurch” societies sprung up: to advance general education & exposure to wholesome literature. to organize Sunday Schools, missions, Bible & tract publication/distribution. to abolish slavery, call for prison reform. to press for temperance and avoidance of alcohol. to press for adherence to the general observance of the Lord’s Day. H&M A Cultural Legacy of the Second Great Awakening

Lyman Beecher, Presbyterian minister, Litchfield, CT. President, Lane Theo. Seminary, OH. Leader in the 2 nd Great Awakening. Co-founder of the American Temperance Society. Ardent anti-Catholic and anti-slavery. Embraced Finney’s new measures. Children included Harriet Beecher Stowe and Henry Ward Beecher. Lyman Beecher

Lyman Beecher’s Vision for Revivals and Moral Crusades “[I]ndividual conversions were insufficient to prevent the United States from apostasy and ruin. … Beecher believed that Sabbath observance was essential to the protection of American liberty. [T]he United States would soon retrogress ‘after the influence of her Sabbaths has passed away.’” Lyman Beecher

Lyman Beecher’s Vision for Revivals and Moral Crusades “Intemperance is the sin of our land … and if anything shall defeat the hopes of the world, which hang upon our experiment with civil liberty, it is that river of fire ….” 1830s – New School Presbyterians initiated an effort to have congregations switch from wine to grape juice in the observance of the Lord’s Supper. Lyman Beecher

Charles Hodge, His efforts in the defense of doctrinal integrity kept Princeton Seminary in the Old School party. Published Systematic Theology (3 vol.) in Argued for Presbyterianism as the government prescribed in Scripture. Openly critiqued Finney’s Pelagianism: Finney’s idea of moral ability “has not been adopted in the confession of any one denominational church in Christendom, but is expressly repudiated by them all.”

Old School/New School Old SchoolNew School Called for a return to traditional Calvinism of the WCF. Suspicious of Revivalism. Call to maintain subscriptionism and a Presbyterian form of Church government. United in the north as war approached. Passed the “exscinding act” removing entire synods Embraced “New Divinity” which was Arminian and universal. Desired and practiced revivalism. Was being led away from Presbytrianism and into Congregationalism. Became divided in the south as war approached. Drew up the “Auburn Declaration” defending their views. Charles HodgeLyman Beecher

A Survey of 19 th c. Presbyterianism Francis Makemie arrived in MD st Presbytery organized, Philadelphia 1730s-43 – 1 st Great Awakening American Revolutionary War st General Assembly, PCUSA s – 2 nd Great Awakening Old School/New School Controversy 1850s-1900s – Third Great Awakening

Third Great Awakening – 1850s-1900s Protestant Denominations grew quickly. Many Christian colleges were started. ▫1848 – Geneva College, Northwood, OH ▫1876 – Grove City College, Grove City, PA Rise of the Republican Party (A. Lincoln) Revivalism of Dwight L. Moody ▫1886 – Moody Bible Institute, Chicago, IL

Third Great Awakening – 1850s-1900s Issues: A Postmillennium vision of culture Temperance => Prohibition Women’s Sufferage Child Labor laws Rise in the Social Gospel, especially in missions NeoGothic architecture sweeps in from Europe which develops into “All purpose” Church “Christian Armory” facilities/services. Growing movements to unify the Christian witness and testimony.

Third Great Awakening – 1850s-1900s Other Creations: Holiness/Pentecostal Movements Young Men’s Christian Association Salvation Army - Catherine & William Booth The Society for Ethical Culture (Jewish) Christian Science - Mary Baker Eddy Jehovah’s Witnesses – Charles Taze Russell

A Survey of 19 th c. Presbyterianism Francis Makemie arrived in MD st Presbytery organized, Philadelphia 1730s-43 – 1 st Great Awakening American Revolutionary War st General Assembly, PCUSA s – 2 nd Great Awakening Old School/New School Controversy 1850s-1900s – Third Great Awakening – War Between the States 1861 – Presbyterians split north to south

The Approaching Storm 1818 – First firm stand by Presbyterians against slavery. “voluntary enslaving of one part of the human race by another” was a “gross violation of the most precious and sacred rights of human nature, … utterly inconsistent with the law of God, which requires us to love our neighbor as ourselves, … totally irreconcilable with the spirit and principles of the gospel of Christ.” Declaration passed at the Presbyterian G.A., 1818 H&M

The Approaching Storm 1818 – First firm stand by Presbyterians against slavery – General Assembly ▫New School: slavery was the decisive issue – a moral crusade. ▫Old School: preserving the nation was decisive issue.  On one hand, slavery not absolutely condemned in Scr.  On the other hand, the “evil connected with slavery” must not be countenanced.

The Approaching Storm 1818 – First firm stand by Presbyterians against slavery – General Assembly 1857 – New School churches divided from the north to form the United Synod of the Presbyterian Church. 12/4/1861 – Old School churches in the south hold their first G.A. with 45 presbyteries, 840 ministers, 72,000 communicant members.

PCUSA – Old School PCUS – New School PCUSA – New School PCUS – Old School

The Approaching Storm For the southern church, the hardening of political opinions meant a shift on slavery. ‘the institution of slavery is divinely recognized and sanctioned. … We are upholding and defending a sacred trust, committed to us by the providence of God.’ a North Carolina Presbyterian newspaper H&M

The Approaching Storm At the same time, many southern ministers continued to oppose and seek reform. In addition to seeking a reform of slaves’ domestic relations, [James A. Lyon of Mississippi] advocated that blacks and white gather together for worship, … that African-Americans be catechized, and that there be a repeal of laws prohibiting slaves from learning to read and write. H&M

After the War The Old and New Schools in the North reunited in But the division between North and South would be hardest for Presbyterians to overcome. The northern and southern Presbyterians could not accept each other until H&M

New Covenant Presbyterian Church Preaching God’s Sovereign Grace to a World of Need 128 St. Mary’s Church Rd., Abingdon, MD