He was suc to the rules and practice of the Presbyte-, that settled in America.* ceeded by John and Samuel Megapolensis, The colony having been planted and maintained by the Dutch West India Company, to it the colonists applied from time to time for ministers, as new churches were formed or the older ones became vacant; and the seat of the company being Its doctrines occupy a sort of middle at Amsterdam, the directors naturally apground between Calvinism and Arminian-plied to the Classis of that city to choose ism. It holds that the atonement was made for all mankind; it rejects the doctrine of eternal reprobation; holds a modified view of election; and maintains the perseverance of the saints; but on the other points is essentially Calvinistic. and ordain the persons that were to be sent out. Hence that Classis and the Synod of North Holland, with which it was connected, came, by the tacit consent of the other classes and synods of the Dutch National Church, as well as by the submission of the churches in the colonies, to have an influence over the latter, which, in the course of time, proved a source of no little trouble to the parties concerned.† To such an extent was it carried that the colonial churches were not thought entitled to take a single step towards the regulation of their own affairs. In its ecclesiastical polity it is Presbyterian; the Session, Presbytery, Synod, and General Assembly are all constituted in the manner described at length in our notice of the Presbyterian Church. It differs, however, in one point, from all other Presbyterian churches, by having adopted the itinerating system of the Methodists. By that system of circuits and stations, How far the West India Company aided its ministers have been able to reach al- the congregations that were gradually most all parts of the Valley of the Missis- formed in its American colonies is not sippi, that being the great scene of their now known, but it is supposed to have labours. But their church is not confined done something for their support. Some to the Western States and Territories of of its governors were decided friends and the American Union-it reaches into Tex-members of the church, and certain it is as, where it has a number of churches. The General Assembly has under its superintendence twelve synods, forty-five presbyteries, about 550 churches, and the same number of ministers, and about 70,000 communicants. Several religious newspapers are published under its auspices. For the education of its youth, it has one flourishing college at Princeton, in Kentucky, and has lately opened another in the State of Ohio. Among its preachers there are several men of highly re'spectable talents and acquirements. CHAPTER X. SMALLER PRESBYTERIAN CHURCHES: REFORM- We have elsewhere stated that the country embracing what are now the States of New-York, New-Jersey, Delaware, and Pennsylvania, was at one time claimed by the Dutch in right of discovery. A trading post was established by them in 1614, at the spot now occupied by the city of NewYork, but it was not until 1624 that any families from Holland settled there. A few years after, the Rev. Everardus Bogardus was sent over to preach to the colonists, and was the first Dutch pastor that those congregations in New Netherlands were considered as branches of the Established Church of Holland. The English took possession of the colony in 1664, and guarantied to the inhabitants all their religious rights. Nothing of any consequence to the churches took place for about thirty years, for there being but few English in the colony, they were attended by nearly the whole population. But in 1693, on Colonel Samuel Fletcher becoming governor, he succeeded, as we have elsewhere noticed, by artifice and perseverance, in having the Episcopal Church established in the city of NewYork and four of the principal counties of the province; so that from that time all classes were taxed for the support of *This excellent man left the colony to return to Holland in 1647, and is supposed to have been lost at sea in the same vessel with Governor Kieft. The Classis of Amsterdam and the Synod of North Holland retain to this day the charge of the churches in the colonies in the East Indies, and other parts of the world, belonging to the kingdom of the Netherlands. It would seem that it was a considerable time before any church edifice of respectable appearance was erected in New Amsterdam, as New-York was then called; for De Vries, in the account of his voyage to New Netherlands, relates that he remarked to Governor Kieft in 1641," that it was a shame that the English should pass there, and see only a mean barn in which we performed our worship." Episcopacy, though its partisans formed but a small minority of the colonists. But the inconvenience of having no ecclesiastical authority in America higher than a Consistory could not fail to be felt by the Reformed Dutch Church, and accordingly, in 1738, some of its ministers proposed having an association of the clergy, called a catus, but which was to have no power either to ordain pastors or to determine ecclesiastical disputes. Innocent as well as inadequate as was this measure, the concurrence of the Classis of Amsterdam could not be obtained till 1746 or 1747. But it was soon found that nothing short of having a regular classis of their own could meet the wants of the churches. Not only was there the heavy expense and delay attending getting ministers from Holland, or sending young men thither to be educated, but, worse than all, the churches had no power of choosing ministers likely to suit them. Urged by such considerations, the cœtus resolved in 1754 to propose a change of its constitution to that of a regular classis, and a plan to that effect was transmitted to the congregations for their approval. But the project was opposed by a powerful party, mainly formed of those who had been sent over from Holland, and called the Conferentie. Amid the distraction and confusion caused by this opposition of parties, religion made little progress, and many influential families left the Dutch Church, and joined the Episcopal. All difficulties were at length adjusted through the prudent mediation of the late Rev. John H. Livingston, D.D.,* then a young man. Having gone to Holland for the prosecution of his studies, in 1766, the Synod of Holland and Classis of Amsterdam were led by his representations to devise a plan, which, after Mr. Livingston's return to America in 1770, was submitted to a meeting held in New-York in October, 1771, and attended by nearly all the ministers, and by lay delegates from nearly all the congregations. After a full discussion, having been unanimously adopted, it was carried into effect the following year. The whole Church was divided into five classes, three in the Province of New-Jersey, and two in that of New-York; and a delegation of two ministers and two elders from each classis constituted the General Synod, which was to meet once a year. * Few men have ever lived in America who have been more useful or respected than Dr. John H. Livingston. For many years he was a pastor in NewYork city; but the latter part of his life was spent in New-Brunswick, in the State of New-Jersey, where he was professor of theology in the seminary of the Reformed Dutch Church. He died in the year 1825, revered by all of every denomination who knew him. He has left an abiding impression of his character upon the church of which he was so distinguished an ornament. The prosperity of the Dutch Church, particularly in the city of New-York, was retarded by another cause, namely, the long-continued opposition to preaching in English. The Dutch tongue having been gradually disappearing ever since the conquest of the colony in 1664, many of the youth had grown up almost in utter ignorance of it, and had gone off to the Episcopal and Presbyterian churches, especially the former, for the latter had as yet but a merely tolerated and feeble existence. At length the Rev. Dr. Laidlie, a Scotch minister, was invited from Holland, and commenced preaching in English in 1764, from which time Dutch fell still more rapidly into disuse. The last Dutch sermon was preached in the collegiate churches in the city of New-York in 1804, though in some of the churches in the country it was used some years longer. But it is now quite abandoned in the pulpit throughout the United States. The Revolutionary war, also, proved disastrous to the Dutch Church, particularly in the city of New-York. One of the church-edifices there was used as a hospital, another as a cavalry riding-school, during the occupation of the place by a British force from 1776 to 1783. But with the return of peace, prosperity returned to this as well as other evangelical communions, and it has been steadily advancing ever since. In all the States it had only eighty-two congregations and thirty ministers in 1784; but the former have now risen to 267, and the latter to 259. The communicants are 29,322.* A college was founded by the Reformed Dutch at New-Brunswick, in New-Jersey, in 1770, which, after various vicissitudes, has now been open for many years, and is. firmly established and flourishing. It is called Rutger's College. Connected with it there is a theological seminary, with three able professors, and between thirty and forty students. The Dutch Church is doing much for Sunday-schools, home missions, and the education of young men for the ministry. It has a society, also, for foreign missions, auxiliary to the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions, and now maintaining some six or eight missionaries with their wives at two or three stations in Borneo. The church is at present organized in a general synod, two particular synods, and nineteen classes. Its standards are those of the Reformed Church of Holland, viz., the Belgic Confession, the Heidelberg Catechism, the Canons of the Synod of Dort, &c. Its doctrines are in all respects purely Calvinistic. From the first it has been * The number of families reported as belonging to this denomination in 1843 was 21,569; and the number of individuals under its instruction was 96,302. favoured with an able, learned, and godly | of these brethren were crowned with sucministry. In its earlier days the labours cess; several congregations were soon orof such men as the Rev. Theodorus J.ganized, and a presbytery formed in the Frelinghuysen, Drs. Laidlie and Westerlo, eastern part of Pennsylvania; and as othand others of like character, were greatly er ministers were sent over from Scotland blessed. In our own times many of its from time to time, there were about eight ministers stand in the first rank among our or ten in all before the breaking out of the distinguished American divines, and many Revolution. But in 1782, the presbytery of its congregations have enjoyed very was reduced to the original number of two precious religious revivals. For the edifi- ministers, in consequence of one or two cation of the people, one of the most in- being deposed, and others joining several structive and best-conducted religious pa- ministers of the Reformed Presbyterian pers, called the Christian Intelligencer, is Church, or Covenanters, in forming the published weekly in the city of New-York. Associate Reformed Church. CHAPTER XI. SMALLER PRESBYTERIAN CHURCHES: THE AS- CHURCH-AND THE REFORMED PRESBYTERI- Notwithstanding these untoward circumstances, the two ministers, with the congregations adhering to them, persevered, and their numbers being speedily recruited from Scotland, such, at last, was their success. in training young men among themselves, that in 1801 they had four presbyteries, which that year, by a delegation from their ranks, formed the ASSOCIATE SYNOD of NORTH AMERICA, a body which meets an Middle, Southern, and Western States. Acquadrupled, I believe, and extend over the cording to the most recent statement which THESE are often called the "Scottish Secession churches." They were originally established by immigrants from Scot-nually. The presbyteries have now been land and Ireland, and are mainly composed, to this day, of Scotch and Irish immigrants and their descendants. The first and last of the three were, in their origin, branches of similar churches in Scotland, and out of an unsuccessful attempt made in America to unite them sprang the second. have seen, this denomination has more than one hundred ministers, upward of two hundred churches, most of which are small, and about 15,000 communicants. For and South. two missionaries to the island of Trinidad. In the year 1733, as is well known, the a long time the energies of this church, Rev. Messrs. Ebenezer Erskine, Alexan-like those of many others, were directed to der Moncrieff, William Wilson, and James the building up of churches in the West Fisher, by a protest addressed to the ComOf late years it has turned its mission of the General Assembly of the attention to the foreign field, and has sent Church of Scotland, seceded from the prevailing party in the judicatories of that able professors and some 20 or 25 students, They have a theological school, with two church. The ground of this separation in connexion with Jefferson College, situawas not a disagreement with the doctrines, ted at Canonsburg, in the western part of order, or discipline of that church, but dissatisfaction with what the dissenters con- burgh. For their organ they publish a valPennsylvania, eighteen miles from Pittssidered to be an inadequate maintenance of those doctrines, and enforcing of that uable monthly journal called the "Reliorder and discipline. These seceders, join-sociate Church are thoroughly Calvinistic; gious Monitor." The doctrines of the Ased afterward by many others, organized its polity completely Presbyterian. It has the Associate* Presbytery, and soon became a numerous and important branch of the enjoyed the labours of many able ministers. kingdom of Christ in Scotland. Seventeen years after this secession a number of persons, chiefly Scotch immigrants, sent a petition from Pennsylvania to the Associate (Antiburgher†) Synod in Scotland, praying that ministers might be sent from that body to break unto them the bread of life. Two ministers were accordingly sent over in 1753 or 1754, with power to form churches, ordain elders, and constitute a presbytery. The labours * They took this name from the circumstance of their congregations not lying near each other, and therefore forming an association of churches rather than a territorial presbytery. The Secession became divided into Burghers and Antiburghers, by a controversy on the lawfulness of what was called the Burgess oath. This small denomination, like some othwhich has led to a separation. The larers, have been at strife among themselves, ger party ejected the smaller. The ejected ministers are fifteen in number, and the members of their churches are estimated at about two thousand. It is not known doctrinal views, and the smaller party have that there exists any difference in their retained their original organization; so that there are now two Associate Synods of North America, as well as two General Assemblies of the Presbyterian Church in the United States of America. ASSOCIATE REFORMED CHURCH.-This body, as we have seen, owes its existence to an attempt made in 1782 to unite in one body the few Associate and Reformed Presbyte rian churches then to be found in the Uni- | ans in Scotland who refused to accede to ted States. But as the success of the at- the Erastian settlement of religion at the tempt was only partial, the coalition being Revolution of 1688, and still maintain a refused by certain members of both church-practical dissent from both Church and es, both survive to this day, and thus a proj- State on account of existing evils. ect for merging two denominations in one, resulted in the creation of a third. They are distinguished from other Presbyterians chiefly by their rigid adherence The Associate Reformed Church has to the whole doctrines of the Westminster rapidly increased. Starting with a small Confession of Faith, Catechisms, Larger number of ministers and churches in 1782, and Shorter; to the Scotch Covenantsit has now no fewer than 20 presbyteries maintaining that the obligations of the "Naand 4 synods; the one in the State of New- tional Covenant" and "Solemn League” York is the largest. It has a theological extend to all represented in the taking of seminary at Newburgh in the same state, them, though removed to this or any other with three professors, and some fifteen or part of the world, in so far as these covetwenty students. The Western Synod has nants bind to duties not peculiar to the a seminary at Alleghany-town, near Pitts- Church in the British Isles, but are of uniburgh, with one professor and about twenty versal application. They also contend students. that nations enjoying the light of Divine The doctrines of this church are Cal-revelation are bound to frame their govvinistic, and its polity Presbyterian; points ernment according to it; and where the on which it hardly at all differs from the As- Bible is known they refuse to swear allesociate and Reformed Presbyterian synods. giance to any system of civil government All three maintain a state of strict isola- which does not acknowledge the Lord Jetion from other communions, and in their sus Christ as King, and recognise the Bichurch psalmody confine themselves ex-ble as the supreme law of the land. clusively to Rouse's version of the Psalms As early as 1752 some Reformed Presof the Bible. They also strenuously con-byterian congregations had been formed in tinue the custom of having fast and thanksgiving days to precede and follow the administration of the sacrament of the Lord's Supper; and in the administration of that ordinance, the communicants sit around a table. The churches of the Associate Reformed are more than 300, their ministers 165, and their communicants 26,000. About twenty years ago, part of this communion joined the Presbyterian Church, but the greater part preferred maintaining their independent position. They have a considerable number of able ministers. The late Dr. John M. Mason was for the greater part of his life one of their most distinguished members, but he joined, a few years before his death, the Presbyterian Church. The Christian Magazine, a monthly periodical, is published under the auspices of the Associate Reformed. North America; but, owing to the defection of some of the ministers, the distance of the congregations from each other, and the troubles connected with the Revolu│tion, the church did not assume a regular organization until, in 1798, the Reformed Presbytery of the United States of North America was constituted, in the city of Philadelphia. It may be supposed that the descendants of the followers of "Cargill, Renwick, and Cameron," who had suffered so much in the cause of civil and religious liberty, and who had voluntarily resigned the privilege of citizenship in the land of their nativity, rather than acknowledge the corrupt system established at the Revolution to be God's ordinance of civil government, would examine carefully the Constitution of their adopted country. They did so, and found (as they believed) evils so great incorporated in that instrument as rendered it necessary for them to refuse allegiance to the whole system. "In this remarkable instrument," say they, "there is contained no acknowledgment of the being or auIn regard to foreign missions, the Asso- thority of God. There is no acknowledgciate Reformed Church acts in concert ment of the Christian religion, or professwith the Presbyterian Board of the Gener-ed submission to the kingdom of Messiah. al Assembly, and contributes to the support of the missionaries sent out by that Board. The monthly concert of prayer is observed in their churches generally, and collections taken at each meeting to aid the cause of missions. Each synod has a Domestic Missionary Society, the object of which is to aid small congregations and plant new ones in destitute places, especially in the Western frontier states. It gives support to the enemies of the Redeemer, and admits to its honours and emoluments Jews, Mohammedans, Deists, and Atheists. It establishes that system of robbery by which men are held in slavery, despoiled of liberty, property, and proREFORMED PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH.-Re-tection. It violates the principles of repformed Presbyterians (or, as they are resentation, by bestowing upon the domessometimes called, Covenanters) are the tic tyrant, who holds hundreds of his feldescendants of the persecuted Presbyteri-low-creatures in bondage, an influence in making laws for freemen proportioned to Theological Seminary in Alleghany Town, the number of his own slaves. This Con- Pennsylvania, has been revived. It has stitution is, notwithstanding its numerous two professors, Rev. James R. Willson, excellences, in many instances inconsist- D.D., and Rev. Thomas Sproull; fourent, oppressive, and impious."* Their op- teen students were in attendance last sesposition to the Constitution, however, has sion; a considerable library for the Semibeen the opposition of reason and piety.nary has been collected, and the Synod proThe weapons of their warfare are argu- poses to establish a mission in 1844, in the ments and prayers. They consider them-West Indies, making St. Thomas the censelves bound to live peaceably with men, to advance the good of society, conform to its order in everything consistent with righteousness, and submit to every burden which God, in his providence, calls them to bear. During the late war with Great Britain, no portion of the citizens were more forward in defence of the country than Reformed Presbyterians. tre of operation. There are thirty-three ministers, five licentiates, fifty organized congregations, with numerous small societies, and nearly 6000 communicants. With this Synod the Reformed Presbyterian Synods in Scotland and Ireland maintain fraternal intercourse. On the other hand, the New Synod has now twenty-four ordained ministers, five licentiates, eight students in theology, forty-four organized churches, and 4500 communicants. It has five presbyteries, and sustains, in connexion with the Board of Foreign Missions of the Old School General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church, two missionaries in India. Besides supporting these two missionaries, the Board of Missions of this Synod sustains a school containing twenty-eight children, in con have been active, also, in prosecuting the work of domestic missions, and, thus, of building up churches in the West and other parts of the country. The receipts of their Board of Missions average about $2800 annually. In 1807 they published a doctrinal Testimony, containing a brief statement of the principles which they hold, and a testimony against opposing errors, with special reference to the evils existing in the national Constitution, and the constitutions of the churches around them. They continued united in the maintenance of this testimony, neither holding communion with other churches, nor offices in the State, nor voting at elections for civil of-nexion with their Indian mission. They ficers, nor admitting any slaveholder to their communion till about 1830, when, their number being considerably increased, several ministers began to entertain opinions different from those which were formerly held by the body on several points relating to doctrine, order, and discipline. These men were led to modify their views on the subject of acknowledging the government of the country, and avowing allegiance to it. This introduced what has been called the New Light controversy, which has since agitated all departments of the Presbyterian family, and resulted in a division of the Synod, and the organization of a rival synod in the Reformed Presbyterian Church, which still maintains a separate existence. At present, however, they are endeavouring to form a union with the Associate Presbyterian Church, and their efforts promise success, as the articles of union are nearly concluded. This controversy greatly distressed the church, and so weakened the old Synod that she has not been able to establish any foreign mission. The members of the church generally retained their attachment to the subordinate standards, and, in consequence, many congregations were left without pastors. The Theological Seminary for a time suspended its operations, so that labourers for a foreign field could not be obtained; but home missions, especially in the West, have been prosecuted with considerable zeal. A more prosperous season has returned. The * Historical Testimony, page 152. R The entire body of the Reformed Presbyterians in the United States embraces, therefore, fifty-seven ordained ministers, ten licentiates, about twenty students of theology, ninety-four organized congregations, and 10,500 communicants. This small body has not been deficient in men distinguished for ministerial gifts and extensive learning. The late Alexander M'Leod, D.D., ranked in his day with Mason, Griffin, Dwight, and other giants of the land. CHAPTER XII. SMALLER PRESBYTERIAN CHURCHES: THE LU- THE first Lutherans that emigrated to America came from Holland, and settled at New-York about the year 1626, that is, two years after the regular settlement of New Netherlands by the Dutch. But they were few in number, and as long as the Dutch held the country, they worshipped in private houses only. But on the colony being transferred to the English, in 1664, they obtained leave to open a place of public worship, and had for their first minister Jacob Fabricius, who arrived in 1669. |