442 HISTORY oy 



tablishment of Schools in America, by the Highest Ecclesias- 

 tical bodies of these two Churches in Europe. By the Reform- 

 ed Synod of Amsterdam, Schoolmasters were sent out for the 

 instruction— and German Bibles and other religious books for- 

 warded to meet the wants of the community not only at Lan- 

 caster but throughout Pennsylvania, Maryland and New York. 



In the Coetualc proceedings of the Reformed church in Hol- 

 land, for the year 1760, we find a Report dated May 20, A. D- 

 1760, in which, among other things, it is stated as follows: 

 "We begin with Lancaster. After Mr. Stoy came here, A. D. 

 1758, in the month of October, he found about one hundred 

 families that belonged to the church. He has baptized since 

 5^^;^ that time to the month of May, 1760, one hundred, instructed 

 forty young persons in the confession of faith, and received 

 them as communicants. At present sixty children attend the 

 school."* 



For years anterior to the time v/c are v.riting of, the minis- 

 ters of the German Reformed church in America as well as in 

 Europe, were among the most learned of all Divines. Essen- 

 tially Calvinistic in their doctrines, they were necessarily able 

 and astute polemics. Called upon as they were daily to combat 

 the errors of the Romish, and to explain the difference and 

 defend their doctrines from those of the Lutheran church — 

 whicii also ranked among its ministers men of great learning 

 and erudition— f they were constrained to search the Scrip." 



*It is worthy of remark hero, that all the proccctlinc;s, reports, &c., of the 

 Synods of tliis Church were, until toward the close of the 18th Century, con- 

 ducted in the Jjatin or Dutch languages: The report spoken of in the text> 

 is in the Dutch and as follows, viz: 



" Wy maken den et begin met Lancaster. Nadien Doniine Stoy. A. D. 

 1758 in do Maand Octob : daar hen quam, zoo vond hy omtrcnt ecn hundred 

 Huishoudingen, die tot die Kerkc behoorcn. Hy heclft zint die tyd tot de 

 Maand Mcy 1760 daar gcdoopt'116 Kinderen ; 40 jongs personen in die 

 Geloofe Belydenissc onderweeren, en tot Ledematen aangenomen, In die 

 School gau tcgenwoonlig 60 Kindcrc : 



■j-The Rev. Henry M. Muhlenberg, for a long time the pastor of the Lu- 

 theran Congregation at Pliiladelphia, spoke the Latin with great fluency. 

 He also preached in the Sweedish, Dutch, German, French and EngUsh 

 languages. He was a profound linguist, and was familiar with the Greek 

 |ind Hebrew. 



