334 



REFORMED CHURCH. 



inent of a theological seminary, and Dr. Philip Mille- 

 lioler. <it' Now York, was elected profostor of theology. 

 l>r. Milledoler declined the call, and it was nut until 

 iiul the seminary was formally opened at Car- 

 lisle. 1'a. The first professor of theology was Dr. 

 Ix-wis Mayer. In the Huiuuicr of 1825 Rev. James R. 

 Rcily visited Europe, and collected a considerable .-urn 

 for the new institution. One of the most liberal con- 

 tributors was Frederick William HI., king of I'rusMa. 

 In Is'j'.i the seminary was removed to York, and in 

 1837 to Merccrsburg, Pa. 



Marshall College was founded at Mereersburg in 

 The first president was Rev. Frederick A. 

 Ranch, Ph. D. (1S06-1X4I), who is best known as the 

 author of a work on llychnlagy, which may be said 

 to have introduced this science to the attention of 

 American students. John Williamson Nevin, D. D., 

 LL. D. (1803-18X6), was professor of theology nt 

 Mercereburg, 1840-51, and president of Marshall Col- 

 lege. 1x41-53. He was a man of great learning and 

 ability, and to the end of his life his influence was 

 extraordinary. (See NKVIN.) In 1X43 a commission was 

 sent to Germany to invite a German professor to accept 

 a professorship at Mcroenburg. Theirchoice fell upon I 

 the Rev. Dr. Philip Schaff, at that time professor! 

 extraordinary at Berlin. He accepted the call, and 

 was installed professor of church history and biblical 

 literature in 1844. The succeeding years were marked 

 by intense theological and literary activity. The two 

 professors, Drs. Nevin and Schaff, labored in perfect 

 harmony, and their influence extended far beyond the 

 limits of the Reformed Church. In 1846 Dr. Nevin 

 published his Mystical Pretence, a book which has 

 been regarded as marking an epoch in the history of 

 American theology. Soon afterwards he published 

 The Hittory and Grniia of the HeldfUitrg (.nttcliixm, 

 and a tract, entitled Antichrist, or the Spirit of Sect 

 and Schi*m. After 1849 he edited the JUcreerslmrij 

 Jtfcino. During the same period Dr. Schaff wrote his 

 History of the Apostolic Church and several other 

 books. He also edited the Kirchenfreimd. a monthly 

 magazine, devoted to the interests of the German 

 churches. (Sec STHAFF.) 



German theology and philosophy were in those days 

 little known in this country, and their introduction at 

 Mercersburg induced controversy and op|x>sition. Grad- 

 ually the utterances of the professors came to be 

 known as "Mcnenborg theology" a term at first 

 employed by its opponents, but afterwards tacitly 

 accepted by its friends. It did not properly designate 

 an organized theological system but a movement in 

 the life of the church ; and consequently left room for 

 injudicious and extreme utterances on the part of pro- 

 fessed friends which did it more harm than the attacks 

 of its most violent opponents. 



In 1833 Marshall College was removed to Lancaster 

 and united with Franklin College, the Reformed 

 Church having first purchased the Lutheran interest 

 in the latter institution. The theological seminary 

 remained at Mercersburg until 1871, when it was also 

 removed to Ijancastcr. Since the retirement of Drs. 

 Nevin and Schaff, theological professorships nt Mcr- 

 cersburg and Lancaster have, at various times, been 

 occupied by the Rev. Drs. Bernard C. Wolff, Henry 

 Ilarhaugh. K. V. (icrhart, Thos. G. Apple, and Fred- 

 eriek A. Gast 



The history of the Reformed Church in the West 

 begins with the first decade of the present century. 

 Rev. Jacob Christman began to preach in Ohio in 

 1803. In the same year Rev. Samuel Weybcrg is said 

 to have preached the. first Protestant sermon v 

 tlic Mi--i-Mppi River, at Cape Girardeau. Missouri. 

 In iso I Rev. John Jacob La rose liegan his labors in 

 Ohio. The Synod of Ohio was organized in I XL' I by 

 right ministers, and was for many years independent 

 nl tin- Synod of the I'nitcd Stales. The \\ 

 Theological Si'ininary and Heidelberg Colle-. 

 liiunditl at Tiffin, Obio, in ISiO. Theuln^ical proics 

 have bocn held by the Rev. Drs. 1' ' 



hart. Moses KiefTcr, J. II. Good, Herman Rust, and 

 I. Van Home. 



About the year lv r ,:i the work of missions among the 

 (iermans in the West was greatly enlarged. In this 

 movement the Rev. Dre. Max btern, H. A. Muehl- 

 mcier and II. J. Ruetenik were especially prominent. 

 Among its results may be mentioned the formation of 

 three German synods, with forty thousand members 

 and all the institutions necessary to effective church- 

 work. 



V. 1863-1889. In 1863 the General Synod met 

 for the first time, having been founded by the concur- 

 rent action of the two existing synods. The same year 

 is memorable for the Tercentenary Celebration of the. 

 HcidcllxTg Catechism, which greatly stimulated the 

 devotion tad benevolence of the church. From I *">'> 

 to ISTH there was a serious controversy concerning 

 liturgical worship, but in the latter year all the ques- 

 tion- at issue were committed to a special commission 

 which was successful in restoring peace to the churches. 

 The word "German" was erased from the church- 

 title in 1X69. The question of organic union with the 

 Reformed Church in America has recently claimed 

 rein-wed attention. The chief obstacle in the way of 

 union is a difference in doctrinal standards. Though 

 both churches arc equally attached to the Heidelberg 

 Catechism, the Reformed Church in America holds 

 in addition, the Belgic Confession and the articles of 

 the Synod of Dordrecht The German body has 

 hitherto declined to subscribe formally to the latter 

 confessions, regarding them as the exclusive possession 

 of the Church of Holland. 



The Reformed Church in the United States, as at 

 present constituted, is governed by a General Synod, 

 which meets triennially. There are eight district 

 synods, of which five are English and three German. 

 The number of classes is 54. There were, in 1887, 

 817 ministers, 1481 congregations, and 183.980 com- 

 municant members. The principal literary institutions 

 connected with the church arc Franklin and Marshall 

 College, Lancaster, Pa. ; Heidelberg College, Tiffin, 

 Ohio; Ursinus College, Collegeville, Pa.; Catawba 

 College, Newton, N. C. ; Calvin College, Cleveland, 

 Ohio, and the German Mission House at Franklin, 

 Wis. Four orphan homes are under the care of 

 the church, and twentv-thrce periodicals are pub- 

 lished in its interest The missionary activity of the 

 Reformed Church has been mostly directed to the 

 spiritual care of the German and Swiss immigrants who 



have Ion 1 settlements in the West, but the means at 



hand have proved utterly inadequate to this enormous 

 work. A foreign mission, founded in Japan in 1x7*. 

 has proved successful. The Germans have also estab- 

 lished a mission among the Winnebagp Indians. 



The Reformed Church has few distinctive peculiar- 

 ities. It aims to hold the truth in due and harmonious 

 proportion. Its Catechism, according to its own state- 

 ment, rests upon the Apostles' creed. It teaches 

 substantially the Augustinian doctrine of natural 

 depravity and salvation by free grace alone ; but allows 

 freedom for more moderate views on the subject of 

 predestination than arc usual in the more strictly Cal- 

 vinistie. Reformed churches. With regard to the sac- 

 rament of the Lord's supper it teaches the spiritual 

 real presence of the flesh and blood of Christ in the 

 Holy Euehariit. for believers only. It regards the 

 children of Christian parents as proper subjects for 

 baptism. The church insists that ministers shall 

 carefully instruct the young in the teachings of the 

 Catechism, as the best means of preparing them for 

 the public profession of their faith. Confirmation is 

 practised, not as a sacrament but as a solemn and 

 appropriate rite. In worship the church is moderately 

 liturgical, valuing anil using a liturgy without abridg- 

 ing the lilicrty which is the privilege of paM>>r.s and 

 pei. pic. In brief, the chnivli. like its honored sym- 

 bol, allows all proper liberty in the development of the 

 truth; and withal is lull of charity towards oth^r 

 brunches of the Chun h i,f Chi'.-i 



