Matter and Substance: The Tennent-Evans Controversy and the Presbyterian Schism of 1741

In 1741, the Presbyterian Synod of Philadelphia divided into Old and New Sides, a schism that took place in the context of the Great Awakening, but was also the result of longstanding disagreements. This article is a study of published correspondence between Gilbert Tennent and David Evans in 1742. Tennent, a leader of the New Side, harshly attacked his erstwhile colleagues, even asserting that some of them lacked genuine faith in Christ. The lesser-known Evans, pastor of the Old Side Presbyterian congregation in Pilesgrove, New Jersey, took issue with Tennent on a wide range of longstanding disagreements. The Tennent-Evans correspondence discusses these points of disagreement, setting forth the significant differences between the two Sides, and offering insight as to why reconciliation did not come about until 1758.