401 religious encyclopedia nationalism

434

ed., with title, The Reformed Church in America. Its Origin. Development, and Characteristics, 1889; E. T. Corwin, Manual of the Reformed Dutch Church. New York, 1859, 4th ed., 1902; idem, in American Church History Series, vol. viii., b. 1895 (both volumes contain indis­pensable lists of literature); W. B. Sprague, Annals of the American Pulpit, vol. ix., New York, 1889; Centennial Celebration of Rutgers College, Albany, 1870; J. Bnnker­hoff, Xiat. of the True Reformed Dutch Church, New York, 1873; Centennial Discourses of the Reformed Church in America, 2d ed., New York, 1877; Centennial of the Theo­logical Seminary, Near Brunarvick, N. J., New York, 1885; N. H. Docker, De hollandache GereJormeerde Kerk in Amer­ica, Nijmegen , 1888; Historic Sketch of the Reformed Church do N. C. (by a board of editors under the Claseis of N. CJ, Philadelphia. 1908.

For doctrine and legislation refer to: W. Hastier The­ology of the Reformed Church in its Fundamental Princi­piea, New York, 1904; E. T. Corwin, Digest of Constatu^ tional and Synodical Legislation of the Reformed Church in America. New York, 1908; M. J. Bosma, Exposition of Reformed Doctrine: a popular Explanation of the moat essential Teachings of the Reformed Churches, Grand Rapids, Mich., 1907; and the literature under HNIasr: azaao Csmacersas, and DoxT, SYNOD OF.

On Africa: C. Spoelstra, Van Zoetenoonde near Pretoria, Capetown, 1898; and the minutes (Ads) of the Synods.

REFORMED CISTERCIANS. See TanrrlaTS.

REFORMED (COVENANTED) PRESBYTE­

RIANS. See PRESBYTERIAN, VIII., 10.

REFORMED EPISCOPALIANS: The Reformed Episcopal Church formally separated from the Prot­estant Episcopal Church, under the leadership of Bishop George David Cummins (q.v.), at a meeting composed of prominent Protestant Origin and Episcopal clergymen and laymen, held History. in New York Dec. 3, 1873. The cause of the separation was found in the rapid rise and advance of ritualism and of its con­trolling influence in the Protestant Episcopal Church. The establishment of an independent episcopal church was necessitated for the purpose of preserving the Low Church Evangelical princi­ples and practises of the English Reformers of the sixteenth century, and of the early Protestant Episcopal Church in America, which fundamental principles and customs were becoming obliterated in the spread of the Oxford or Tractarian move­ment (see TRACTARTANT$M) in England and in Amer­ica, and in the consequent rapid and successful substitution of Roman dogma and rites for the his­toric and Biblical Reformed doctrine and Protes­tant liturgical worship of the old Reformed Church of England and of the Protestant Episcopal Church of the early days of American history. The Re­formed Episcopal Church therefore claims to be the old Protestant Episcopal Church in the full meaning of the title, and takes its name from the historic title of the Reformed Church of England, and the great English Reformers and Protestant martyrs. Bishop Cummins immediately conse­crated Charles Edward Cheney (q.v.) bishop of the bleat, now the synod of Chicago, which charge he still holds.

The church in 1910 reports 5 synods and mission­ary jurisdictions in the United States and Canada, 94 parishes, 7 bishops, and 99 other clergy, about 10,500 communicants, about 11,000 in the Sunday schools, a church property, free of incumbrances, valued at about 11,670,000, controls property in use, valued at about $1,835,000, and holds and is heir

435

RELIGIOUS

ENCYCLOPEDIA

Reformed (Dutoh) Church Reformed FHlcopaliaae

to, denominational endowment funds amounting to about $350,000, not including large parochial en­dowments. It has a well equipped The Church and endowed theological seminary in in America. Philadelphia, with an ahunni roll of 64 names. It is represented in two church papers: The Episcopal Recorder, published weekly in Philadelphia, founded 1822, formerly a Protes­tant Episcopal organ; and The Evangelical Epis­copalian, published monthly since 1888 in Chicago. The church maintains a large mission work among the colored freedmen of the South, under the care of a white superintendent An extensive foreign­mission work is conducted in India, including at Lalitpur orphanages and schools, and at Lucknow a hospital and dispensary, all under thg charge of clergymen educated in the Philadelphia Theological Seminary.

The church has a considerable following in Eng­land, where it was introduced in 1877, now under the episcopal jurisdiction of Bishop Philip The Church X. Eldridge, of London. The English in England. branch now constitutes an independ­ent but affiliated church, and reports 28 ministers, 1,990 communicants, 6,000 sittings, and 256 teachers, and 2,600 pupils in its Sunday­schools.

While the Reformed Episcopal Church perpetu­ates the historic church as represented in the Evan­gelical English Reformation, it differs from the Protestant Episcopal Church of mod 

Doctrines ern days fundamentally in doctrine,

and Ritual. as well as in ceremonial and ritual.

Possessing and preserving the historic

episcopate, it holds that the episcopate is not a sep­

arate order in the ministry, but is an office within

the presbyterate, and that the bishop is among the

presbyters primus inter pares. It " recognizes and

adheres to episcopacy, not as of Divine right, but

as a very ancient and desirable form of church

polity." And it repudiates the dogma of Apostolic

Succession (q.v.; see also SoccEssioN, APos­

TOLIC), and " condemns and rejects " as " er­

roneous and strange doctrine, contrary to God's

Word, that the Church of Christ exists only in one

order or form of ecclesiastical polity." It recog­

nizes the validity of all Evangelical orders, con­

firmed in the laying on of hands of the presbytery;

and holds communion with, and exchanges pulpits

with, all Evangelical Protestant Churches, and re­

ceives from them by letters dimissory, clergy and

laity without reordination or reconfirmation, and

dismisses to them, as to parishes in her own com­

munion.

It denies that Christian ministers are " priests " in any ecclesiastical sense, and has eliminated this title, as so applied, from the Prayer Book. It " re­jects " the " strange doctrine " that " the Lord's Table is an altar on which the oblation of the Body and Blood of Christ is offered anew to the Father," and "that the Presence of Christ in the Lord's Supper is a presence in the elements of Bread and Wine." And it forbids the erection of any such altar in the church, where may be found only the honored, historic, plain communion table. It de­nies " that Regeneration is inseparably connected

with Baptism " of water, as taught in the old for­mularies, and has expurgated from the Prayer Book statements to such effect. It has adopted as the model for its Prayer Book the thoroughly Evan­gelical and Protestant Book of Bishop White, the first American Prayer Book of 1785, which followed the Reformed doctrinal standard of the Second Book of Edward VI. of 1552, rejecting the later American Prayer Book of 1789, and of present use in the Protestant Episcopal Church, for the assigned reason that it followed the High church standard of the reign of Queen Elizabeth, which in turn had followed the half reformed First Book of Edward VI. of 1552.

The Reformed Episcopal Prayer Book, retain­

ing all the beautiful historic forms of worship, is

entirely free from any germs of Roman Catholic doc­

trine, and, having been in constant use for thirty­

seven years, is the only Low church revision of the

Prayer Book that has had a history of actual service

in common use for a period of more than COLLINS. years.

W. RUSSELL COLLINB.

The "Declaration of Principles" set forth at the organization of the Reformed Episcopal Church in 1873 took the following form  

I. The Reformed Episcopal Church, holding "the faith once delivered unto the saints," declares its belief in the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments as the Word of God, and the sole Rule of Faith and Practice; in the Creed "commonly called the Apostles' Creed"; in the Divine institu­tion of the Sacraments of Baptism and the Lord's Supper; and in the doctrines of grace substantially as they are set forth in the Thirty Nine Articles of Religion.

II. This Church recognizes and adheres to Epis­copacy, not as of divine right, but as a very ancient and desirable form of church polity.

III. This Church, retaining a Liturgy which shall not be imperative or repressive of freedom in prayer, accepts the Book of Common Prayer, as it was revised, proposed, and recommended for use by the General Convention of the Protestant­Episcopal Church, A.D. 1785, reserving full liberty to alter, abridge, enlarge, and amend the same, as may seem most conducive to the edification of the people, "provided that the substance of faith be kept entire."

IV. This Church condemns and rejects the fol­lowing erroneous and strange doctrines as contrary to God's Word:

First, That the Church of Christ exists only in one order of ecclesiastical polity:

Second, That Christian Ministers are "priests" in another sense than that in which all believers are "a royal priesthood":

Third, That the Lord's Table is aD altar on which the oblation of the Body and Blood of Christ is offered anew to the Father:

Fourth, That the Presence of Christ in the Lord's Supper is a presence in the elements of Bread and Wine:

Fifth, That Regeneration is inseparably connect­ed with Baptism.

BIHLJOGEAPHr: Mrs. Annie D. Price, Sid. of 9a Formation

and Growth of the Reformed epiwopa Church IB7a 180.f,

Reformed (German) Church THE NEW SCHAFF HERZOG

438

Philadelphia, 1902; B. Ayerigg, Memories q/ as Reformed

$pisoopal Church. New York, 1875, new ad., 1882; Mrs.

G. D. Q~•a„,in. Memoir q/ 0. D. Cummins, ib., 1878; C.

C. Tiffany. in American Church History Series, vii. 534 ­

536, New ork, 1895; H. 8. Ca=ll, in the same, i. 325, ib.

1896.

REFORMED (GERMAN) CHURCH IN THE

UNITED STATES.
1. History. Period of the Coetue (§ 1). Period of the Synod (¢ 2). Statistics and Agencies (1 3).

11. Doctrine, Worship, and Government.

L History: The Reformed Church (German) in

the United States traces its origin back to Zwingli

(q.v.) in northeastern Switzerland, who began

preaching the Evangelical Gospel at

:. Period Einsiedeln in 1518. These doctrines,

of the as further developed by Bullinger and

Coetus. Calvin, passed over into Germany.

Elector Frederick III. of the Palatinate

caused the Heidelberg Catechism to be written by

Ursinus and Olevianus and published it at Heidel­

berg Jan. 19, 1563. The founders of the church in

this country were colonists from the Palatinate and

other parts of western Germany and also from Swit­

zerland. The first minister, Samuel Guldi (q.v.),

came from Bern to America in 1710. The first

purely German congregation was founded at Ger­

mania Ford, on the Rapidan, Va., 1714. But the

first complete congregational organization took

place 1725, when John Philip Boehm, a schoolmas­

ter, organized the congregations at Falkner Swamp,

Skippach, and White Marsh, Pa., according to the

principles of Calvin, and adopted as standards

the Heidelberg Catechism and the Canons of Dort.

George Michael Weiss came in 1727 and organized

the Philadelphia congregation. Boehm was ordained

1729 at New York by, the Dutch Reformed minis­

ters under the authority of the classis of Amster­

dam in Holland. In 1742 Count Zinzendorf tried to

unite all the German churches and sects in Pennsyl­

vania into one organization with the Moravians as

the leading body. This was opposed by Boehm and

Guldi (q.v.). In 1746 Michael Schlatter (q.v.) came

from St. Gall, Switzerland, commissioned by the

Reformed Church of the Netherlands to organize

the Germans of Pennsylvania. After traveling much

among the congregations, he completed their or­

ganization, begun by Boehm, by forming the coer

tus at Philadelphia Sept. 29, 1747, at which there

were present four ministers and representatives

from twelve charges. The second coetus (1748)

completed the organization by adopting as its

standards the Heidelberg Catechism and the Canons

of Dort. It also adopted a constitution, which was

Boehm's constitution of 1725 somewhat enlarged.

In 1751 Schlatter returned to Europe, traveling

through Holland, Germany, and Switzerland seek­

ing aid for the Pennsylvania churches, and returned

with six young ministers appointed by the Reformed

Church of the Netherlands. Some effort was made,

1741 51, toward union with the Dutch Reformed

and Presbyterians, but the attempt failed. The

coetus continued under the control of the Reformed

Church of the Netherlands, which sent thirty eight

ministers to America and spent about $20,000 on

the American churches. The actions of the coetus were reviewed by the deputies of the Synods of North and South Holland and by the classis of Am­sterdam. This relation to Holland continued until 1792, when the coetus virtually declared itself in­dependent (see REFORMED [D&TCH] CHURCH, II., 3 8).

The first synod was held at Lancaster Apr. 27, 1793. The church then consisted of 22 ministers, 178 congregations, and about 15,000 members. Its

first problems were the education of s. Period of ministers and the change of language

the Synod. from German to English. After a

number of conflicts as at Philadelphia

and Baltimore, the latter was solved by the gradual

introduction of English into the services. The

former was solved by the education of young men

privately by different ministers. Of these, three

were especially prominent, Christian Lewis Decker

of Baltimore, Samuel Helffenstein of Philadelphia,

and L. F. Herman of Falkner Swamp. In 1820 the

synod divided itself into classes and decided to

found a theological seminary, which, however, was

not opened until 1825. The Ohio classis broke off

in 1824 and organized itself into an independent

synod. In 1822 the free synod of Pennsylvania

also broke away but returned in 1837. Similarly an

independent synod was organized in Ohio in 1846,

but returned about 1853. From 1829 to 1844 a re­

vival wave spread over the church. From 1845 to

1878 was the period of controversy. In 1844 Philip

Schaff (q. v.) delivered his inaugural address on " The

Principle of Protestantism," which led to the for­

mation of the Mercersburg theology.. This was for­

mulated (1847) by the publication of The Mystical

Presence by John Williamson Nevin (q.v.) and by

What is History f by Philip Schaff (q.v.). Soon after

the Hercersburg theology appeased, a liturgical

movement began at the synod of 1847. In 1857

the provisional liturgy was published. In 1863 the

tercentenary of the Heidelberg Catechism was cele­

brated by a convention at Philadelphia, and in that

year the Ohio synod united with the old synod in

forming the general synod. In 1867 the order of

worship was published. In 1867 the Myerstown

convention was held to protest against the tendency

toward ritualism in the church. This convention

resulted in the founding of Ursinue College. In

1869 the western (or low church) liturgy was pub­

lished. Both the order of worship and the western

liturgy were permitted by the general synod to be

used, but neither was adopted constitutionally by

being voted upon by the classes. The liturgical

controversy continued until 1878, when the general

synod appointed a peace commission, which formu­

lated a basis of union. This commission was ap­

pointed by the next general synod (1881) to pre­

pare a new liturgy The Directory of Worship. This

was finally adopted constitutionally by the

general synod (1887) after the classes had voted

upon it.

Home mission work was carried on by the church almost from the beginning (A. C. Whitmer, One Hundred and Fifty Years of Home Missionary Ac­tivrty, Lancaster, 1897). Foreign missionary work was begun 1842 by the appointment of Benjamin

487

RELIGIOUS ENCYCLOPEDIA 8eformed (German) Church

Schneider as missionary at Broosa, later at Ain­tab, in Asia Minor, under the American Board of Foreign Missions. This continued till 1866. In

1879 the first missionary was sent 3. Statistics to Japan and in 1900 to China (of. H. and K. Miller, History of the Japan Mia 

Agencies. lion, 1904). The church had (in 1908)

1,170 ministers, 1,681 congregations, 288,271 communicants, 1,716 Sunday schools, 25,333 Sunday school teachers and officers, 232,746 Sunday school scholars, and 221 students for the ministry. The contributions for congregational expenses were $1,886,610, and for benevolence $403,779.

The first theological school was founded at Car­lisle, 1825. This was removed to York in 1829, and to Mercersburg in 1836. Its classical school, begun 1831, grew into Marshall College, 1836, removed in 1853 to Lancaster and united with Franklin College to form Franklin and Marshall College. The theo­logical seminary was removed to Lancaster in 1871. In Ohio efforts were made to found a theological school at Canton (1838), then at Columbus (1848), but no permanent school was founded till in 1850, when Heidelberg College and Theological Seminary were founded at Tiffin, Ohio. The latter was united with Ursinus School of Theology in 1907 to form Cen­tral Theological Seminary, located at Dayton, Ohio, 1908. A German Mission house was founded in 1870 at Franklin, Wis., where there is now a college and theological seminary. Other colleges are Ca, tawba College, Newton, N. C.; Ursinus College, Collegeville, Pa. (with theological department re­moved to Philadelphia, 1898 1907). Female colleges are Allentown Female College, Allentown, Pa., Woman's College, Frederick, Md., and Claremont Female College, Hickory, N. C. Preparatory schools are Mercersburg college, Mercersburg, Pa.; Massanutten Academy, Woodstock, Va., and In­terior Academy, Dakota, Ill. The church has or­phans' homes at Womelsdorf, Pa., Greenville, Pa. (formerly Butler, Pa.), Fort Wayne, Ind., and Crescent, N. C.; also deaconess homes at Alliance, Allentown, and Cleveland. It publishes twelve church papers in English, German, and Hungarian, and sixteen Sunday school publications.

11. Doctrine, Worship, and Government: The Re­formed Church was in language allied to the Lu­theran Church, being German (although probably about three fourths now use English at the church services). But otherwise it was allied historically with the Calvinistic family of churches and is a member of the Alliance of Reformed Churches hold­ing the Presbyterian System. Its early ministers (1725 92) adopted the Calvinistic creeds of Hol­land, the Canons of Dort, and the Heidelberg Cate­chism. When the church became independent of Holland, it adopted as its standard only the Ger­man creed, the Heidelberg Catechism. Certain tendencies toward a diminished Calvinism appeared with even some traces of Arminianism, though the church in the main was Calvinistic. But many pre­ferred to be called Zwinglian rather than Calvinistic. In 1840, when J. W. Navin was oallod from the pres. byterian Church to be professor of theology at Mercergburg, it was looked upon as cementing the

ties with the other Calvinistic churches. But the Mercersburg theology departed from the earlier sys­tem in claiming to be neither Calvinistic nor Ar minian but Christocentric. It emphasized, how­ever, what it conceived to be Calvin's doctrine of the Lord's Supper, though this was denied by the opponents of Mercersburg theology. It was claimed for the Mercersburg theology that it held to the " spiritual real presence " while the old Reformed held to the real spiritual presence as against an imaginary presence or no presence of Christ at all at the Lord's Supper. Mercersburg theology em­phasized the objective efficacy of the sacraments and also the objective in the visible Church. With­in the last twenty years there has arisen a reaction against these High church views in a more liberal school of theology, the leader of which was the late William Rupp of the Lancaster Theological Semi­nary, which is inclined toward Broad church posi­tions. On worship the church has been semi­liturgical, that is, its Sabbath worship was free, but its services for sacraments, marriage, and ordina­tions were prescribed in a liturgy. For over a cen­tury the Palatinate liturgy was used by the minis­ters. No liturgy was officially published by the synod till the Mayer liturgy of 1841, which has services only for sacraments and the like, but none for Sabbath worship. A small liturgy, based on the Palatine, was published by the Ohio synod (1832), but it also had no forms for the Sabbath services. Coincident with the rise of Mereersburg theology there was a development of liturgical wor­ship for the Lord's Day services also. A provisional liturgy was published and later the order of wor­ship was introduced into many of the eastern con­gregations; but the western and German part of the church retain the free services. Baptism is by sprinkling and the Lord's Supper is generally cele­brated by the communicants coming forward to and standing at the chancel. Confirmation is prac­tised as a public act of confession of faith. In wor­ship, the congregations usually sit during the hymns sand stand during prayer. In government the church is Presbyterian, having as its courts, rising in their order, congregation, consistory, clasais, synod, and general synod. Historically its government has been more democratic than that of the Presby­terian Church in this country, its congregations re­serving more rights. The Mercersburg party, with its high idea of worship, also urged higher idea., of government and thus emphasized aristocratic Pres­byterianism. They stressed the authority of the higher church courts while the Old Reformed party emphasized the liberty of lower church courts. The church, however, is a synodical organization rather than a general synod organization, as its synods reserve certain important rights, such as the found­ing of theological seminaries. But latterly the gen­eral synod has been gaining in authority as the general activities of the church in home and foreign missions, Sunday school work, ministerial relief, and the like are being centered in it. The general synod meets once in three years. JAMES I. Goon.

B1auoaa&rat: On the history: J. 1. Good, The Origin of the Reformed 04WA in (y. Ring, Pa., 1867; idem, HietoM of the Relonwed CAwut in Germany, 1880 

1890, ib. 1894; idem, Hietmie Handbook of the Reformed

m ed ($uU9iri&L) Church THE NEW SCHAFF HERZOG

Church in U. S., Reading, 1897, Philadelphia, 1902; idem,

Hiss. of the Reformed Church in U. S. (1786 9.8), Reading,

1899; idem, Women of the Reformed Church, Philadel­

phia, 1902; J. G. Buttner, Die hoehdeutech reformirte

Kirche in den Vereinipten Staaten, Schleis, 1844; L. Mayer,

A History of the German Reformed Church, vol. i., Phila­

delphia, 1851; H. Harbaugh and D. G. Heisler, The

Fathers of the German Reformed Church in Europe and

America, 8 vols., Reading, 1857 88; G. W. Williard, The

History of Heidelberg College, Cincinnati, 1879; J. H.

Dubbe, Historic Manual of the Reformed Church in the

U. S., Lancaster, 1885; idem, The Founding of the Ger­

man Churches in Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, 1893; idem,

in American Church History Series, vol. viii., New York,

1895; idem, The Reformed Church in Pennsylvania, Lan­

caster, 1902; S. R. Fisher, History of Publication Eforts

in the Reformed Church, Philadelphia, 1885; T. Appel,

The Beginnings of the Theological Seminary, ib. 1886*

7 * J Ru der chistlichen Kircheng;

chi,ch't.. Cleuvland. 1890; J. L. Flock, History of the Re­formed Ch rchea in Chester County, Norristown, 1829; J. I. Swander. The Reformed Church, Dayton, n.d.

On doctrine and liturgy: S. Helffenatein, The Doctrines of Divine Revelation, Philadelphia, 1842; P. Schaff, The Principle of Protestantism, Chambexsburg, 1845; J. W. Nevin, The Liturgical Question, Philadelphia, 1882; idem, Vindication of the Revised Liturgy, ib. 1867; f. H. A. Bom­berger, The Revised Liturgy, Philadelphia, 1867; idem, Reformed not Ritualistic. A Reply to Dr. Nevin's " Vin­dication," ib. 1887; 1. A. Domer, The Liturgical Conflict in the Reformed Church in N. A., Philadelphia, 1888; G. B. Russell, Creed and Customs, Philadelphia, 1889; E. V. Gerhart, Institutes of the Christian Religion, 2 vols., New York, 1891 95.

REFORMED (HUNGARIAN) CHURCH IN AMERICA: In the earlier stages of the Hungarian immigration to this country those who were identi­fied with the Reformed churches of their own land to a considerable degree united With the Reformed Church .n the United States or with the Presbyterian Church in the United States of America. As their congregations increased in numbers, a separate classis in the Reformed Church in the United States was organized for them, but there were quite a number who desired closer connection with the Mother Church in Hungary, especially with a view to securing pastors familiar with their own language. Appeals were made to Hungary, resulting in the visit in 1902 to this country of Count Joseph De­genfeld, curator general of the Reformed Church in Hungary. As a result of his observations and of a report made by him on his return, the General Con­vention of the Reformed Church in Hungary de­cided to assist such congregations as were willing to submit themselves to its care and supervision, both by sending ministers and by rendering finan­cial aid.

The Hungarian Reformed Church in America was organized on Oct. 7, 1904, in New York City, with 6 congregations and 6 ministers. At the time of the census (1906) there were lfi organizations, with 18 ministers and 5,253 memliArs, worshiping in 11 church edifices and 4 halls, owning church property valued at $123,500, besides 8 parsonages worth $26,500. The membership included 3,404 males and 1,549 females. There were 4 Sunday­schools with 179 scholars.

EDWIN MBNBELL BLISS.