Eureka Classis, Part Three Prepared for Trinity Covenant RCUS, Colorado Springs August 15, 2004
Note: Although these may seem to be 19^th century controversies, yet they are very relevant today, because the Biblical faith faces two pressures from what may appear to be opposite ends of the religious world: on the one hand is the sacerdotal wing, represented by Rome, Mercersburg, New Perspectives, and the Auburn movements and others; on the other hand is the subjective and individualizing wing, represented by the independents, charismatics, and revivalism [the dregs of the movement]. The two wings are not nearly so far apart as they might seem, but are really flanking movements of the same idea: to replace the objective revelation of the Bible with man’s autonomy. Schaff and Nevin are very much alive in the churches today.
Schaff and Nevin	Reformed
Developed out of mediating German theology. Emphasized progress in thought. Built on Hegel or Schelling. “Mediating theology” is the attempt to find the truth between opposites. The opposites are wrong, and truth lies somewhere in between. [Boy, is this modern, or what?]	Holds to the confessional idea, especially the Three Forms of Unity. Truth is viewed from the Biblical standpoint as “Thus Saith the Lord,” which is either believed or not believed
Lowered the Authority of the Bible and elevated the authority of the Church and the authority of tradition.	Accepted the Bible as the rule of faith and practice and rejected the authority of tradition as Romanizing.
Made the Apostles’ Creed of equal or even higher authority than the Scriptures. The Bible “contains” the word of God.	Makes ALL creeds subordinate to the Bible. The Bible IS the word of God.
The sacraments are potential in themselves, grace is present where it is not exclude3d by unbelief. They are saving ordinances. The sacraments convey the God-man life of Christ to the man from the Church. In them the very substances of Christ’s life pass to man. They impart regeneration and grace.	The sacraments are potential only as faith is present. They do not save, but seal. (HC 65). Christ is redemption, and the sacraments are the confirmatory channel thereof. They go together with the Word and are of like effect.
Baptism translates us from the kingdom of Satan to the Kingdom of God. It produces deliverance from the power of the devil, forgiveness from sin and the gift of the new life. It implants a germ of new life within us. It makes infants Christians. [Gerhart’s Catechism].	Baptism is the sign and seal of regeneration, of the covenant into which the child is born of Christian parents. It does NOT implant a germ, for the Holy Spirit is not under the law of the organic, and grace does not grow like a germ in nature; the Spirit is free to act as He wills.
The Lord’s Supper conveys the divine-human life of Christ to us so as to nourish our souls. The humanity of Christ is present in the divine-human life, but spiritually. The memorial aspect is minimized and the idea of the communication of life is most prominent. “Broken bread” and “poured out wine” are left out of the service. It is especially views as under the aspect of an offering up of a sacrifice to God.	The Lord’s Supper is the sign and seal of spiritual nourishment of believers by the Holy Spirit. The communicant lifts his mind from the elements up to Christ in heaven. It is most prominently a memorial of our Lord’s suffering on the cross and not an offering up of a sacrifice.
The power of the minister’s office is emphasized since it flows from Christ, as the fruit of his resurrection and ascension, and the minister is given the “communication of such great forced.” He is the organ through whom God delivers the grace of regeneration and salvation. The ministers are set apart from the people as priests. No one can be certain his sins are forgiven unless it is officially declared by the ministers as the representative of God.	The ministry is of divine origin, but the office, not the power, is stressed. There is power with the office only wherever the Holy Ghost and faith are present, but not otherwise. It is an office the Church, not separate from the congregation. The prophetic office is emphasized. No man is allowed to come as priest between the believer and his Savior.
Concerning the future life, Mercersburg followers held to a middle state, which was the echo of Schaff’s early aberration at synod of 1846. Just what they meant is not certain, says J. I. Good, who was of the Old Reformed School	The believer at death goes immediately to heaven, unto the mansions of light in Christ Jesus. Salvation is full and complete. [There are some voices in the Reformed churches today who deny that the soul goes to heaven at death or that the eternal state is in heaven. They teach that the earth is the final home for body and soul. –cwp].
In worship, a fixed order was used, a liturgy read. Altar and altar-liturgy is demanded. They used confession and absolution Confirmation and ordination made semi-sacramental.	Used a free service, only the sacraments, marriages and ordination used special forms. Had no altar. No confession or absolution No sacramental ideas about confirmation or ordination.
Government was aristocratic Presbyterian. Most of the power was in the upper Church courts. The character and direction of the services was in the hands of the minister because of the priestly office and authority. Classical assessments were morally binding and must be paid before money is given to other objects in the Church. Seminary was under the control of Synod. Theology teachers were are separate office from the ministry and were elected by the Synod.	Democratic Presbyterian, power in the lower courts except for that delegated to the upper. The minister could not decide the character of the worship, or change it, this was in the hands of the consistory and congregation. Classical assessments are not taxes, the people are at liberty to give where they please. The seminary had the General Synod as the court of appeal in controversies. The teachers of theology are not separate from the ministry. Ordinarily the professors were elected by the Synod, but the right for each minister to teach theology was never repealed.

Adapted by C. W. Powell with minor changes and additions from the History of the Eureka Classis, 1910-1960, by the Committee on History [D. E. Bosma, Wm. E. Korn, Henry G. Hieb, published by the Eureka Classis on the occasion of the 50^th Anniversary of the Eureka Classis in 1960.