REFORMED CHURCH IN AMERICA (Duren), formerly called `the,Reformed Protestant Dutch church in North America," is a body of Christians in the United States composed of etzcendants of settlers from Holland. They claim the honor of establishing the first Protestant. church organization, the first day-school, and the first theological seminary, on this continent. The mother church began her existence in•the Netherlands toward the end of the 15th c., the scattered congregations meeting in secret under tho ban of the government and inquisi lion, and calling themselves "the Churches of the Netherlands under the Cross." Two earnest students of the Greek New Testa ment, both natives of Groningen, Gansevoort and Agricola, may be called the heralds of the reformation in Holland: which, as Motley says, "entered through the Huputenot gate." The " Belgic confession." based on that of the Calvinistic churches of France, was published in 1551, and adopted by the synod of Antwerp in 1563, and at Wesel in 1568. The conflict with Philip II. was precipitated in 156;, and the long pent-up con victions of the people burst into flame. Open-air preaching and the singing of hymns in the vernacular fired the hearts of the masses. The scattered churches now formed them selves into one organization, adopting the designation of "a lily among thorns." Dur ing the heroic struggle for liberty, and amid fierce persecutions, the reformed faith became the religion of the state, the "union of the seven provinces" (Iting from 1579. In gratitude to William, prince of Orange, the Reformed church adopted his coat-of-arms as their distinctive blazon, adding to the original Dutch motto L'endracht maakt wield (unity makes strength). the text " Dominus frustra." The national church of Hol land now took its place among the churches of the continent, its faith being " protestant" as opposed to the pope's rule; and "reformed" as distinct from Lutheranism. The Reformed church of Holland, of s. Africa, and in the Dutch colonies throughout the world, is still flourishing, the most striking event in its history being the session of the synod of Dordrecht (or Dort), in 1619, to settle the controversy between the t ulvinists and Arminians; and the translation of the states-general's version of the Bible, in nit a cost of $100,000, which is still the standard Dutch version.
The Reformed church in America was organized in 1628, in what is now the lower part of New York city, by the rev. Jonas Michaelius. Hendricks Hudson sailed up the. Hudson river in 1609; a trading-post was established by Hollanders on Manhattan island in 1614. and an agricultural settlement in New Netherlands in 1623. The colonists, although without a clergyman, enjoyed in 1626 public worship and the pastoral, services of two Icrank-besoeckers (comforters of the sick) who were lay church officers and empowered' to conduct services in the absence of a minister. In the summer of 1628, the rev. Jonas Michaelius arrived, and at once organized a church, with a consistory, there being communicants present at the first celebration of the Lord's slipper. is now time
Collegiate Reformed church in New York city. In 1633 the rev. Everardus Bogardus arrived to succeed Michaelius, and with him came the schoolmaster Adam Roelandsen, who founded the present flourishing Collegiate Church parochial school, now in its 249th year of successful operation. The wife of the " dominie" (or pastor) Bogardus was Annatje Jansen (Anneke Jans), whose farm, then lying in the suburbs of the settlement, has become the property of Trinity church. See BOGAltDUS, EVERARDITS. At the time of the English conquest in 1064 there were seven reformed churches in the country. 'nick were at New York, Alhariy, Kingston; Flatbush and Flatlands, on Long Island: Bergen, N. J., and New Amstel, Del.; the Hollanders numbering in all probably less than 10,000. These 50 years, front 1614 to 1664, form the first period of this ehurch's history. The second period, =irked by struggles with the English governors, who wished to impose the language and ecclesiastical customs and rules of England upon the Hol landers, lasted from 1664 to 1737. During this time the number of churches increased to sixty. Colonies of Huguenots from France, and many thousands of Germans from the Palatinate, arrived in America and connected themselves with the Reformed church; which, as the line of distinction between the English and Hollanders became more defi nite through their resistance of official interference, was called the "Reformed Protestant Dutch church." The first use of this name was in a charter given by William III to the church at New York, in 1694. The lines of the Dutch churches extended mainly along the Hudson, Mohawk. and Raritan valleys, and on Long and Staten islands. Emigration from Holland had almost wholly ceased. Most of the ministers, however, came from Holland, and the classis of Amsterdam in the old country was the superior judicatory. In 1737 the American Dutchmen formed a " coetus" or ecclesiastical body in New 1 ork, which applied for permission to hold an annual synod for ecclesiastical business only, subject to the approval of the chassis of Amsterdam. With proverbial Dutch slowness, the permission was granted after a delay of nine years. Even then, the measure of power granted was too small to render effective the operations of the yearly conference of lay and clerical delegates. In 1755, through the influence of the more pro gressive spirits, the first American classis was formed. This was the signal for sixteen years of bitter strife between the adherents of the castes or progressives, and the con ferentie or conservatives. The peace-maker who finally healed the long strife was the rev. John H. Livingston, a graduate of Yale college, who went to Utrecht for theology al study. In 1771 he presented a plan of union to the churches assembled in convention at New York, which being accepted by the classis of Amsterdam and the American Dutch churches, the way was made clear for the present ecclesiastical organization.