REFORMED CHURCH IN AMERICA. THE. A holy of Christians in the 'United States composed originally of settlers from Ilolland, but now largely intermixed with elements from many other sources. Until 1867 it was known as the Reformed Protestant Dutch Church in North America. The history of the Church begins with that of the Reformation in the where the movement met with a hearty welcome.
Entering from Germany. it afterwards received its chief impetus from Switzerland and France. Hence its distinctive type of the Reformed doc trine and the more democratic Presbyterian polity. But in Holland. as there had been a great preparation made by reformers before the Reformation. The monks John Esc', and Henry Voes for their evangelical preach ing, were burned at Brussels 1523) and were perhaps the first martyrs of the Reforma tion. The Reformed Church of the Netherlands began her more formal existence in 1566. when the so-called 'League of Beggars' was formed.
Field preaching and the singing of evangelical Hymns rapidly spread the Reformed doctrine. Con ventions or synods of the Dutch Reformers during the next two decades formulated a liturgy and rules of Church government, and adopted stand ards of doctrine—the Belgic Confession and the Heidelberg Catechism (qq.v.). Because of Span ish persecution these synods were held outside of Dutch territory. In 1643 copies of these rules of Church government were sent to the West minster Assembly as a specimen of Presbyterian polity. In 1618-19 the famous Synod of Dort (q.v.), called to consider the controversy which had sprung up between the Calvinists and Ar minians, formulated the Canons of the Synod of Dort.
The earliest Dutch Church organization in America was made in New York in 1628 by Rev. (Jonas Nichalius. This is now the strong and wealthy Collegiate Church, with its half-score of buildings and fourteen ministers. During the government of the \Vest India Company down to 1664 thirteen Dutch churches were estab lished in America and sixteen ministers in all had officiated. Then came the English conquest. Dutch immigration ceased. It was a question whether the Dutch Church could survive under the English Government. During the next half century there was an almost constant struggle with the English Governors, who naturally sought to establish the Church of England. During this same period there was also a considerable acces Mon of Huguenots to the country, who largely fell into the fold of the Dutch Church. At first,
however, during the reigns of Charles II. (1660 85) and James II. (1685-88), full liberty was ostensibly granted to all denominations. But with the accession of William Ill. (I6SS) the normal policy of the English Gol eminent was restored, and more persistent attempts were made to im pose the Church of England on a population which was overwhelmingly Dutch. A Ministry Act was secured in 1093, lint it had been so emasculated in its passage that it was found, to be entirely nnseetarian: yet it was often arbi trarily perverted by certain of the Governors in favor of the Church of England. Because of such perversion the Dutch Church of New York City managed in 1096 to extort a charter from Governor Fletcher, and this course was success fully followed by other Dutch churches, so that the Dutch Church really remained eeelesiastieally independent. During this period of struggle the churches increased to forty, and about twenty four new ministers were sent from Holland.
During the eighteenth century many Palatines arrived on the Hudson, making sooner or later about twenty German churches, which were also under the Chassis of Amsterdam. Increasing de sire for a general ecclesiastical organization and for institutions of learning now began to lei ex pressed. There were some conflicts at first be tween the more revivalistic methods of Berth°lf and Frelinglmysen, which were of a Labadistie character, and the more conservative methods of others. A church organization styled the Orb's was formed in 1747, but, owing to ecclesiastical interference from Holland, it found itself unable to ordain. Hence it declared itself an hide pendent American Classis with full powers in 1754. Meantime, an effort was made to establish a Dutch divinity professorship in Kings College, New York City, which was accomplished in 1755, but this split the Church more completely and led to the securing of a charter for Queen's Col lege (New Brunswick, New Jersey) in 1766 and an amended charter in 1770. The two parties came together in 1771 upon articles of union, securing semi-independence from the Church of Holland, but the Revolution delayed the speedy development of the new plans. In 1784 a pro fessor of theology was elected—Rev. Dr. John 14. Livingston—and this was the beginning of a theological seminary, the first in the country.