Faith and knowledge-- Presbyterian philosophy and hermeneutics in the mid-nineteenth century

The Common Sense tradition of antebellum Presbyterianism was a confluence of Scottish philosophy, Reformed confessional ism (Westminster), and evangelical pietism. The first two are the easiest to isolate and so I have concentrated upon their influence. The point of this study is to demonstrate their effect upon the first principles of Presbyterian philosophy and hermeneutics. There can be little doubt that the attempt of theologians to bring together these two factors caused all but the most consistent thinkers to arrive at conclusions which could not be sustained by their original premise. The marrow of this issue is the source and verification of knowledge. Scottish philosophy places its confidence first in experience through the faculties of sense and consciousness. All other knowledge, including the knowledge of God is ultimately derived from this. Reformed epistemology, however, begins with the self-authenticating knowledge of God in the heart. This, in turn, becomes the basis for all other knowledge. The knowledge of experience is only possible because of God\u27s design and immanence in creation. It must be kept in mind throughout this paper that we are not dealing with systems which are mutually exclusive. Perhaps that is why Presbyterians were able to keep a foot in both. The criterion is one of primacy. The assumption we begin with, experience or God, will condition all other conclusions provided those assumptions are carried out consistently. A final note concerning the scope of this paper: Due to the limitations of space and the availability of primary sources, we will confine ourselves to a rather narrow, though by no means unrepresentative period. The midnineteenth century (1840-1860) were years of transition in Old School Presbyterianism. Archibald Alexander passed away in 1851 leaving the mantle to his successor, Charles Hodge, who in his own right was becoming the most authoritative voice the Princeton tradition would ever know. Samuel Tyler, an articulate spokesman for Scottish philosophy and the house philosopher for the Old School Presbyterian church, wrote a number of articles for the Princeton Review which became the basis of his book, Discourse in Baconian Philosophy (1844). Also, by this time opposition to Common Sense was coalescing in the form of ideal ism, Romanticism, revivalism, and transcendentalism