In 1792 the constitution of the church, based on the articles of church government in Holland, was formed. About this time the German churches in New York, Pennsyl vania, and the south, which bad been 'under the care of the chassis of Amsterdam. assumed the right of self-government, some of them remaining with the Dutch churches. others forming "The German Reformed church." See REFORMED Cuuncn rx Tun UNITED STATES. The statistics of the Reformed Dutch church at that time give I general synod, 5 classes, 130 churches, and 50 ministers. The English language was used in but few churches until long after the revolutionary war, which fact :done would explain why this oldest of the Presbyterial churches in America is among the smallest. The first preaching in English in 1764 by rev. A. Laidlie in New York caused a law-suit between parties in the church, and began a still longer strife. The Young people in the cities were thus largely lost to the church, while emigration addea nothing, until the years 1846 and 1847. and the years following, when a fresh influx of Hollanders to our shores greatly added to the strength of the Reformed church in Iowa, Michigan, and 'Wisconsin, leaving, however, a geographical break between the churches cast and west, now but partly filled. The Holland tongue is still used in many of these latter diuretics.
The theologiCal standards are identical with those of the Reformed church of Hol land, viz.: The Belgic confession, the Heidelberg catechism, the canons of the synod of Dort; the prevailing type of doctrine being that of moderate Calvinism. In govern ment, the church is strictly Presbyterian; in worship, semi-liturgical. The liturgy, the use of which is optional, and which is but partly used in most of the churches, was first Adopted. by the synod of Wesel in 1568, modified in 1619, and translated into English in L767. It is part of the constitution of the church. The use of the forms for the admin igiration of baptism and the Lord's supper, for ordination of ministers, elders, and dea cons, for excommunication and readmission of excommunicated members, are obligatory upon.every minister. Those for the litany and prayers, marriage and burial service. laying of corner-stones, for opening and closing of consistory, are optional, and, except in the case of the litany and prayers, largely in use. Formerly the clerk, who was also precentor (roorlezer en voorzanger), stood in the desk below the pulpit, read the com mandments and creed, and gave out and led the singing of the psalms, the minister in gown and' bands entering the pulpit during the first singing. At his side, on the pulpit. was ainhour-glass, to measure the length of the discourse, which ought not to exceed one hour. English hymns were first sung in 1767. Four officers are recognized in the con stitution ministers of the word, teachers of theology, elders, deacons. The judicatories are tho consistory, chassis, particular synod, general synod. The consistory of each church is composed. of minister, elders, and deacons; the elders being charged with spiritual functioos,.the deacons having care of the poor. Usually the consistory are sole trustees of the chnrdrproperty. The elders are elected not for life, but by the male communi cants for two years; this rotation in office changing half of the consistory each year. The great consistory is an advisory body composed of all elders and deacons who have been in-office. • Elders and deacons, like ministers, are considered as bound to the sane tuary for life, though not always in office. The chassis is composed of not less than three elders and three ministers from at least three churches, and holds meetings semi-annually. The classes preside over the churches, license, ordain, install, dismiss, suspend, and depose ministers, examine :ninutes of consistories, and try cases of appeal from the latter. The particular synod presides over the classes, forms new ones, transfers congregations from one to another, and decides eases of appeal from them. It meets once a year, and is com posed of four elders and four ministers from each chassis- The general synod.supervises
the whole church. It meets once a rear in June. Three ministers and three elders from each classis form this body, which is the final court of appeal, which cannot, however, change the constitution. Such a change can come only by a majority of the classes. In 1880 there were 1 general and 4 particular synods, 33 classes, 510 churches, 545 minis ters, 43,289 families, 80,208 communicants. 645 Sunday-schools having 80,445 scholars; were raised for benevolent and $852,286 for congregational purposes.
The educational institutions are Rutgers college at New Brunswick, N. J., founded in 1770, well endowed and equipped; Hope college at Holland, chartered in 1866; and the theological seminary at New Brunswick, N. J., founded in 1784. Union college was founded and first endowed by the Dutch church at Schenectady, N.Y. The boards. which are under the control of general synod, have charge of foreign missions, home missions, education, and publication; with funds for widows and orphans, disabled min isters, and church building. In missionary work, preaching among the Indians was begun by Dominic Megapolensis at Albany, three years before John Eliot held his first service. The old records of the churches at Schenectady, Albany, and in New Jersey contained the names of hundreds of baptized Christian Indians who were members of those churches; and the translations of the Scriptures, Christian doctrine and ritual into the Indian languages, especially the Mohawk, still attest the missionary spirit of the early Dutch pastors and people in America, which was continued in, or directly by, the church among the Indians settled on reservations, until 1830. Missionary work in Asia was begun at first in co-operation with other societies. After contributions made during many years, the first band of missionaries was in 1836 sent out to India, and thence to Borneo. In 1858 independent denominational effort was inaugurated. The China mis sion was begun in 1844; the Arcot, India, in 1854; and the Japan in 1859; the names of Scudder, Abed, Talmage, Van Dyck, Brown, Verbeck, being prominent in the annals of the Reformed missions. The statistics of the work for 1880 are: stations 14, out-stations 101, missionaries 16, assistants 21, native pastors 11, catechists, readers, helpers, etc.. 183, churches 35, members 2,341, academies and schools 52, scholars 1741, native con tributions $2,251. The appropriations of the board for 1880 were $74,279. The board of home missions, to whose fostering care half the churches of the denomination owe their existence, began work in 1849, and has had a large field of enterprise among the Hollanders and other people of the west. It disbursed in 1880 $34,527. The board of education assists indigent young men preparing for the ministry, and aids parochial schools under its care. In 1880 it expended $20,594, and aided 72 students, the allow ance to each being $150 per annum. The expenditures of the other beards and funds for 1880 were: publications, $21,010; church building, $7,139; widows and disabled min isters, $6,098. The Reformed church corresponds by delegate or letter with a number of evangelical Christian bodies in the United States, Europe, and south Africa. The Christian Intelligencer, weekly, and The Sower and Monthly, are denominational periodicals published in New York. See the Manual of the Reformed Church in America— a nearly complete biography of the ministers, with bibliography, and history of the church (3 vol. ed., 1879); Manual of Missions, (1877); Constitution and Digest of Acts of General Synod; The Dutch Centennial Discourses, (1876); _History and Characteristics of the Reformed Dutch Church—all published in New York; also, Documentary History; and Brodhead's History, New York; nco Hundred Years of Church Life (Schenectady, 1880); and Qua-rter-millenntal Anniversary of the Reformed Protestant Dutch Church of the City of New York (1878).