Transcript PowerPoint - Ephesians515.com

The History of Presbyterianism
in the United States
Part 2: A Centuries of Change
C – Charles Finney
Master Timeline
United States
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1620 – Mayflower lands
1730s-1743 – 1st Great Awakening
1776-1783 – American Rev.
1790-1840 – 2nd Great Awakening
1830 – Book of Mormon
1850-1900 – 3rd Great Awakening
1861-1865 – American Civil War
1870 – Scottish Common Sense
1889 – Moody Bible Institute
1891 – Briggs’ address
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1910 – Pres. G.A.: 5 Fundamentals
1914-1919 – World War I
1922 – “Shall Fund.s Win?”
1923 – The Auburn Affirmation
1925 – The Scopes Trial
1929 – Westminster Theo. Seminary
1936 – Orthodox Presbyterian Ch.
1936 – John Mackay, Princeton Sem.
Europe
• 1643 – Westminster Confession of Faith
• 1650-1800 – Age of European Enlightenment
& of Scottish Common Sense Philosophy
• 1770s-1900 – Rise of German Higher Criticism
• 1789-1799 – French Revolution
• 1827 – Plymouth Brethren begin meeting
• 1833 – Slavery Abolition Act of England
• 1859 - Charles Darwin – Origin of Species
• 1862-77 – Darby travels to the United States
• 1919 – Rise of Neo-Orthodoxy
United States (cont.)
1937 – Death of J. Gresham Machen
- Bible Presbyterian Ch. (McIntyre)
1966 – RTS, Jackson, MI
1967 – Confession of ‘67, Book of Confessions
1973 – PCA
1983 – Union of UPCUSA & PCUS
The (First) Great Awakening,
1730-1743
Jonathan Edwards
John Wesley
George Whitefield
Old Side/New Side, 1737-41
Old Side
New Side
• Wanted prohibition against
rogue itinerant preaching.
• Wanted college diploma as
minimum credentials for
ordination.
• Reserved judgment on the
truth of the Great Awakening
phenomenon.
• Tended to dismiss rash
conversions as not of the Spirit
of God.
• Encouraged itinerant
preaching as “not the enemy”.
• Higher education not always
required or necessary.
• Embraced the emotional
conversion experience entirely.
• Tended to criticize other side
as “unconverted” themselves.
After the American Revolution,
Christianity was being transformed.
• Christian faith had been on the decline since the
Revolution, especially on the frontier.
• Universalism and Deism were popular, selfexcusing faiths.
• Alcoholism, greed, abuse of slaves, and sexual
immorality were rampant.
• Only small, local signs of revival could be found.
After the American Revolution,
Christianity was being transformed.
At nearby Cane Ridge, the phenomenon
grew wilder:
• Preaching more dramatic
• Fainting,
• Shouting,
• Wild genuflections
called “exercises”
• Ecstatic utterances
• Eventually,
confusion reigned.
Between 1816-26
the United Presbyterian Church saw:
• 50,000 members added.
• a jump from 43 to 86 presbyteries.
• and a jump in number of pastors:
from 543 to 1,140.
“Father of Modern Revivalism”
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Charles Finney
1792-1875
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9 yr.s old at the time of Cane Ridge.
Began studying law in Adams, NY.
Began attending the local
Presbyterian Church, leading the
choir.
In solitude & isolation, he testifies
to an instantaneous conversion –
“like waves of liquid love”.
Immediately, he felt called to leave
the study of law and become a
preacher of the gospel.
“Father of Modern Revivalism”
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9 yr.s old at the time of Cane Ridge
1823 – taken under care by the St.
Lawrence Presbytery & licensed to
preach.
Charles Finney
1792-1875
“Unexpectedly to myself they asked me if I received
the Confession of faith of the Presbyterian church.
I had not examined it; - that is, the large work, containing the
Catechisms and Presbyterian Confession. This had made no part
of my study. I replied that I received it for substance of doctrine,
so far as I understood it. But I spoke in a way that plainly
implied, I think, that I did not pretend to know much about it.”
The Memoirs of Charles Finney: The Complete Restored Text
Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1989, pg. 53-54
The Adopting Act of 1729
And in case any minister of this Synod, or any
candidate for the ministry shall have any scruple with
respect to any article or articles of said Confession or
Catechisms, he shall, at the time of his making the said
declaration, declare his sentiments to the Presbytery or
Synod; who shall, notwithstanding, admit him to the
exercise of the ministry within our bounds, and to
ministerial communion, if the Synod or Presbytery shall
judge his scruple or mistake to be only about articles
not essential and necessary in doctrine, worship, or
govt. …
“Father of Modern Revivalism”
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Charles Finney
1792-1875
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9 yr.s old at the time of Cane Ridge
1823 – taken under care by the St.
Lawrence Presbytery & licensed to
preach.
1825 - Began revivalism as a
ministry in upstate New York
•1832
First
– preaching
Ministerefforts
of 2ndwere
Freelackluster.
•Presbyterian
Revival dramatically
in
Churchstarted
(Broadway
Western, NY.
Tabernacle)
• His charisma and revival spirit gained
1835him
– President
of Oberlin
a quick reputation
College,
Oberlin,
OH following.
and an
enthusiastic
Finney’s Controversial
New Measures
1.
Charles Finney
1792-1875
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
He would visit towns without invitations/cooperation of
local ministers & condemn them as unconverted if they
resisted him.
Call individuals out by name as sinners headed for hell &
then publicly prayed for their specific conversion.
He held protracted nightly meetings, employed women for
public prayer and preaching.
He employed dramatic, emotional music to elicit an
emotional response.
He would begin his messages with a Scr. reference but not
give any specific attention to the text in his sermon.
He created the altar call, the “anxious bench” and
decisional regeneration – a determination to live a morally
righteous life.
Immediate admission of converts into church
membership.
“Father of Modern Revivalism”
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1830-31 – Rochester, NY
“A person visiting Finney told
him that he had no feeling
regarding the condition of his
soul. At this Finney picked up a
fire poker and threatened to
strike the man. The defensive
reaction from the man caused
Finney to remark that he was
demonstrating feeling and
should have feeling about his
salvation as well.”
J. Johnson
“Father of Modern Revivalism”
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Finney boldly preached a “modified
Calvinism”
▫
Charles Finney
1792-1875
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▫
Unbelief is a “will not” rather than a
“cannot”.
Appeared singularly qualified to
identify unbelief in others and frankly
proclaimed the judgment of hell for
them.
Came to adamantly reject Old Side
theology and training as insufficient
for the ministry.
“Father of Modern Revivalism”
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Charles Finney
1792-1875
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9 yr.s old at the time of Cane Ridge
1823 – taken under care by the St.
Lawrence Presbytery & licensed to
preach.
1825 - Began revivalism as a ministry
in upstate New York
1832 – Minister of 2nd Free Pres. Ch.
 Chatham Street Chapel 
Broadway Tabernacle
1835 – Professor at Oberlin College,
Oberlin, OH
1851-66 – President, Oberlin College
1875 – Died at Oberlin
Finney Changed “Church”
• “Worship” now was nothing but evangelistic revival.
• Building constructed in a theater design.
• No pulpit – an open stage ▫ for the conducting of acting/drama.
▫ for the public seating of dignitaries/testimonials/etc.
• Massive organ/choir placed behind stage for effect.
• Special music provided for emotional appeal.
“Father of Modern Revivalism”
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•
•
Charles Finney
1792-1875
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•
•
•
9 yr.s old at the time of Cane Ridge
1823 – taken under care by the St.
Lawrence Presbytery & licensed to
preach.
1825 - Began revivalism as a ministry
in upstate New York
1832 – Minister of 2nd Free Pres. Ch.
 Chatham Street Chapel 
Broadway Tabernacle
1835 – Professor at Oberlin College,
Oberlin, OH
1851-66 – President, Oberlin College
1875 – Died at Oberlin
Finney’s Impact
and Legacy
“His legal training had conditioned Finney to
think logically, but it had also saddled him with a
world of wrong presuppositions. Finney’s notions
of justice, guilt, righteousness, transgression,
forgiveness, sovereignty, and a host of other terms
were drawn from his legal studies, not the
Scriptures.”
John Macarthur
Ashamed of the Gospel, pp. 229-230
Finney’s Impact
and Legacy
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He magnified New Side interests to
dominate the religious landscape.
• He changed many people’s
perception of church and worship.
• He made the ancient heresy of
Pelagianism standard and accepted
fare among many evangelicals.
• He made the “end” to be justified by
any “means”.
Finney’s rejection
of Calvinism
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He appealed to Rationalism rather than the
Scriptures in his theology.
He denied the doctrine of Original Sin and
Total Depravity.
He affirmed a universal, governmental
atonement.
He said that salvation is not a miracle from God
but the logical, compelling choice of a
reasonable human being.
He replaced the grace of God with moralism
and held to Christian perfectionism.
Finney’s rejection
of Calvinism
“One need go no further than the
table of contents in his Systematic
Theology to learn that Finney’s entire
theology revolved around human
morality. … Not until the twenty-first
chapter does one read anything that is
especially Christian in its interest … ”
Michael Horton
Finney’s rejection
of Calvinism
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He appealed to Rationalism rather than the
Scriptures in his theology.
He denied the doctrine of Original Sin and
Total Depravity.
He affirmed a universal, governmental
atonement.
He said that salvation is not a miracle from God
but the logical, compelling choice of a
reasonable human being.
He replaced the grace of God with moralism
and held to Christian perfectionism.
Finney’s rejection
of Calvinism
“[Arminians have] unconverted sinners
who are dead in trespasses and sin bringing
themselves to life by choosing to be born
again. Christ made it clear that dead
people cannot choose anything, that the
flesh profits nothing and that a person
must be born of the Spirit BEFORE he can
even see the Kingdom of God, let alone
enter it.”
R.C. Sproul
The Holiness of God, p. 232
Finney’s rejection
of Calvinism
“Does reason affirm that we are
deserving of the wrath and curse of God
for ever, for inheriting from Adam a
sinful nature?”
Charles Finney
Lectures on Systematic Theology
p. 320
Finney’s rejection
of Calvinism
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•
•
•
•
He appealed to Rationalism rather than the
Scriptures in his theology.
He denied the doctrine of Original Sin and
Total Depravity.
He affirmed a universal, governmental
atonement.
He said that salvation is not a miracle from God
but the logical, compelling choice of a
reasonable human being.
He replaced the grace of God with moralism
and held to Christian perfectionism.
Finney’s rejection
of Calvinism
“This [governmental atonement] view holds
that Christ by His death actually paid the penalty for
no man’s sin. What His death did was to demonstrate what their
sins deserved at the hand of the just Governor and Judge of the
universe, and permits God justly to forgive men if on other
grounds, such as their faith, their repentance, their works, and their
perseverance, they meet His demand. But this is just to eviscerate
the Savior’s work of all its intrinsic saving worth and replace the
Christocentric vision of Scripture with the autosoteric vision of
Pelagianism.”
Robert Reymond
A New Systematic Theology of the Christian Faith
p. 479
Finney’s rejection
of Calvinism
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•
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•
•
He appealed to Rationalism rather than the
Scriptures in his theology.
He denied the doctrine of Original Sin and
Total Depravity.
He affirmed a universal, governmental
atonement.
He said that salvation is not a miracle from God
but the logical, compelling choice of a
reasonable human being.
He replaced the grace of God with moralism
and held to Christian perfectionism.
Finney’s rejection
of Calvinism
“Some theologians have held that
regeneration is the work of the Holy
Spirit alone … But I might just as
lawfully insist that it is the work of man
alone.”
Charles Finney
Lectures on Systematic Theology, abridged
p. 224
Finney’s rejection
of Calvinism
•
•
•
•
•
He appealed to Rationalism rather than the
Scriptures in his theology.
He denied the doctrine of Original Sin and
Total Depravity.
He affirmed a universal, governmental
atonement.
He said that salvation is not a miracle from God
but the logical, compelling choice of a
reasonable human being.
He replaced the grace of God with moralism
and held to Christian perfectionism.
Finney’s rejection
of Calvinism
Perfection was the teaching that:
• perfect obedience to God is
attainable in this life.
• sanctification was a work of the Spirit
and not of the Christian.
• led the way to later “victorious life”
and “second blessing” teaching.
Finney’s advocacy
of social reforms:
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He tied choosing Christ to
denying alcohol.
He preached the abolition of
slavery.
He advocated for prison reform
and voluntary societies for the
improvement of society.
“The Burned-Over
District”
• Finney’s own term
to refer to the area so heavily
evangelized as to have no “fuel” (unconverted) left to
burn (convert).
• The area from which came:
▫
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▫
Latter day Saint movement – late 1820s
Millerites (Adventism), 1833 (influence for JWs)
Spiritism (Communion with the dead), 1840s
Oneida Society (Polygamist communal living), 1848
New Covenant
Presbyterian Church
Preaching God’s Sovereign Grace
to a World of Need
128 St. Mary’s Church Rd.,
Abingdon, MD 21009
410-569-0289
www.ncpres.org
www.ephesians515.com
A Survey of 19th c. Presbyterianism
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1683 - Francis Makemie arrived in MD
1706 - 1st Presbytery organized, Philadelphia
1730s-43 – 1st Great Awakening
1775-83 - American Revolutionary War
1789 - 1st General Assembly, PCUSA
1790-1830s – 2nd Great Awakening
1837 - Old School/New School Controversy
1861-65 – War Between the States
1861 – Presbyterians split north to south
Old School/New School
Charles Hodge
Old School
• Call to return to traditional
Calvinism of the WCF.
• Suspicious of Revivalism.
• Call to maintain a Presbyterian
form of Church government.
• United in the north as war
approached.
• Passed the “exscinding act”
removing entire synods
Lyman Beecher
New School
• Embraced “New Divinity” which
was Arminian and universal.
• Desired and practiced revivalism.
• Was being led away from
Presbytrianism and into
Congregationalism.
• Divided in the south as war
approached.
• Drew up the “Auburn Declaration”
defending their views.
Lyman Beecher’s Vision
for Revivals and Moral Crusades
Lyman Beecher
“[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’s Vision
for Revivals and Moral Crusades
Lyman Beecher
“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.
Charles Hodge
• His efforts in the defense of doctrinal integrity
kept Princeton Seminary in the Old School party.
• Published Systematic Theology (3 vol.) in 1873.
• 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.”
A Survey of 19th c. Presbyterianism
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1683 - Francis Makemie arrived in MD
1706 - 1st Presbytery organized, Philadelphia
1730s-43 – 1st Great Awakening
1775-83 - American Revolutionary War
1789 - 1st General Assembly, PCUSA
1790-1830s – 2nd Great Awakening
1837 - Old School/New School Controversy
1850s-1900s – Third Great Awakening
Third Great Awakening – 1850s-1900s
• Protestant Denominations grew quickly.
• Many Christian colleges started.
▫ 1848 – Geneva College, Northwood, OH
▫ 1876 – Grove City College, Grove City, PA
• Rise of the Republican Party
• Revivalism of Dwight 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, esp. in missions
• “All purpose” Church facilities/services
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 19th c. Presbyterianism
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•
•
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1683 - Francis Makemie arrived in MD
1706 - 1st Presbytery organized, Philadelphia
1730s-43 – 1st Great Awakening
1775-83 - American Revolutionary War
1789 - 1st General Assembly, PCUSA
1790-1830s – 2nd Great Awakening
1837 - Old School/New School Controversy
1850s-1900s – Third Great Awakening
1861-65 – 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.”
The Approaching Storm
• 1818 – First firm stand by Presbyterians against
slavery.
• 1845 – 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.
• 1845 – 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
1869. 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 1983.
H&M
New Covenant
Presbyterian Church
Preaching God’s Sovereign Grace
to a World of Need
128 St. Mary’s Church Rd.,
Abingdon, MD 21009
410-569-0289
www.ncpres.org
www.ephesians515.com