favoured with an able, learned, and godly | of these brethren were crowned with sucministry. In its earlier days the labours cess; several congregations were soon orof such men as the Rev. Theodorus J. ganized, and a presbytery formed in the Frelinghuysen, Drs. Laidlie and Westerlo, eastern part of Pennsylvania; and as othand others of like character, were greatly er ministers were sent over from Scotland. blessed. In our own times many of its from time to time, there were about eight ministers stand in the first rank among our or ten in all before the breaking out of the distinguished American divines, and many | Revolution. But in 1782, the presbytery of its congregations have enjoyed very was reduced to the original number of two precious religious revivals. For the edifi- ministers, in consequence of one or two cation of the people, one of the most in- being deposed, and others joining several structive and best-conducted religious pa- ministers of the Reformed Presbyterian pers, called the Christian Intelligencer, is Church, or Covenanters, in forming the published weekly in the city of New-York. Associate Reformed Church. CHAPTER XI. SMALLER PRESBYTERIAN CHURCHES: THE AS- CHURCH-AND THE REFORMED PRESBYTERI- Notwithstanding these untoward circumstances, the two ministers, with the congregations adhering to them, persevered, and their numbers being speedily recruited from Scotland, such, at last, was their success in training young men among themselves, that in 1801 they had four presbyteries, which that year, by a delegation from their ranks, formed the ASSOCIATE SYNOD of NORTH AMERICA, a body which meets an THESE are often called the "Scottish Secession churches." They were originally established by immigrants from Scot-nually. The presbyteries have now been land and Ireland, and are mainly composed, to this day, of Scotch and Irish immigrants and their descendants. The first and last of the three were, in their origin, branches of similar churches in Scotland, and out of an unsuccessful attempt made in America to unite them sprang the second. quadrupled, I believe, and extend over the Middle, Southern, and Western States. According to the most recent statement which I have seen, this denomination has more than one hundred ministers, upward of two hundred churches, most of which are small, and about 15,000 communicants. For attention to the foreign field, and has sent two missionaries to the island of Trinidad. In the year 1733, as is well known, the a long time the energies of this church, Rev. Messrs. Ebenezer Erskine, Alexan- like those of many others, were directed to der Moncrieff, William Wilson, and James the building up of churches in the West Fisher, by a protest addressed to the Com-and South. Of late years it has turned its mission of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, seceded from the prevailing party in the judicatories of that church. The ground of this separation was not a disagreement with the doctrines, order, or discipline of that church, but dissatisfaction with what the dissenters con able professors and some 20 or 25 students, They have a theological school, with two in connexion with Jefferson College, situated at Canonsburg, in the western part of Pennsylvania, eighteen miles from Pittssidered to be an inadequate maintenance burgh. For their organ they publish a valof those doctrines, and enforcing of that gious Monitor." The doctrines of the Asuable monthly journal called the "Reliorder and discipline. These seceders, join-sociate Church are thoroughly Calvinistic; ed afterward by many others, organized its polity completely Presbyterian. It has the Associate* Presbytery, and soon became a numerous and important branch of the enjoyed the labours of many able ministers. kingdom of Christ in Scotland. Seventeen years after this secession a number of persons, chiefly Scotch immigrants, sent a petition from Pennsylvania to the Associate (Antiburgher) Synod in Scotland, praying that ministers might be sent from that body to break unto them the bread of life. Two ministers were accordingly sent over in 1753 or 1754, with power to form churches, ordain elders, and constitute a presbytery. The labours * They took this name from the circumstance of their congregations not lying near each other, and therefore forming an association of churches rather than a territorial presbytery. The Secession became divided into Burghers and Antiburghers, by a controversy on the lawfulness of what was called the Burgess oath. This small denomination, like some others, have been at strife among themselves, which has led to a separation. The lared ministers are fifteen in number, and the ger party ejected the smaller. The ejectmembers of their churches are estimated at about two thousand. It is not known doctrinal views, and the smaller party have that there exists any difference in their retained their original organization; so that there are now two Associate Synods of North America, as well as two General Assemblies of the Presbyterian Church in the United States of America. ASSOCIATE REFORMED CHURCH.-This body, as we have seen, owes its existence to an attempt made in 1782 to unite in one body the few Associate and Reformed Presbyte rian churches then to be found in the Uni- | ans in Scotland who refused to accede to ted States. But as the success of the at- the Erastian settlement of religion at the tempt was only partial, the coalition being Revolution of 1688, and still maintain a refused by certain members of both church- practical dissent from both Church and es, both survive to this day, and thus a proj- State on account of existing evils. ect for merging two denominations in one, resulted in the creation of a third. The Associate Reformed Church has rapidly increased. Starting with a small number of ministers and churches in 1782, it has now no fewer than 20 presbyteries and 4 synods; the one in the State of NewYork is the largest. It has a theological seminary at Newburgh in the same state, with three professors, and some fifteen or twenty students. The Western Synod has a seminary at Alleghany-town, near Pittsburgh, with one professor and about twenty students. They are distinguished from other Presbyterians chiefly by their rigid adherence to the whole doctrines of the Westminster Confession of Faith, Catechisms, Larger and Shorter; to the Scotch Covenantsmaintaining that the obligations of the " National Covenant" and "Solemn League" extend to all represented in the taking of them, though removed to this or any other part of the world, in so far as these covenants bind to duties not peculiar to the Church in the British Isles, but are of universal application. They also contend that nations enjoying the light of Divine The doctrines of this church are Cal- revelation are bound to frame their govvinistic, and its polity Presbyterian; points ernment according to it; and where the on which it hardly at all differs from the As- Bible is known they refuse to swear allesociate and Reformed Presbyterian synods. giance to any system of civil government All three maintain a state of strict isola- which does not acknowledge the Lord Jetion from other communions, and in their sus Christ as King, and recognise the Bichurch psalmody confine themselves ex-ble as the supreme law of the land. clusively to Rouse's version of the Psalms of the Bible. They also strenuously continue the custom of having fast and thanks giving days to precede and follow the administration of the sacrament of the Lord's Supper; and in the administration of that ordinance, the communicants sit around a table. The churches of the Associate Reformed are more than 300, their ministers 165, and their communicants 26,000. About twenty years ago, part of this communion joined the Presbyterian Church, but the greater part preferred maintaining their independent position. They have a considerable number of able ministers. The late Dr. John M. Mason was for the greater part of his life one of their most distinguished members, but he joined, a few years before his death, the Presbyterian Church. The Christian Magazine, a monthly periodical, is published under the auspices of the Associate Reformed. As early as 1752 some Reformed Presbyterian congregations had been formed in North America; but, owing to the defection of some of the ministers, the distance of the congregations from each other, and the troubles connected with the Revolution, the church did not assume a regular organization until, in 1798, the Reformed Presbytery of the United States of North America was constituted, in the city of Philadelphia. It may be supposed that the descendants of the followers of " Cargill, Renwick, and Cameron," who had suffered so much in the cause of civil and religious liberty, and who had voluntarily resigned the privilege of citizenship in the land of their nativity, rather than acknowledge the corrupt system established at the Revolution to be God's ordinance of civil government, would examine carefully the Constitution of their adopted country. They did so, and found (as they believed) evils so great incorporated in that instrument as rendered it necessary for them to refuse allegiance to the whole system. "In this remarkable instrument," say they, "there is contained no acknowledgment of the being or auIn regard to foreign missions, the Asso-thority of God. There is no acknowledgciate Reformed Church acts in concert ment of the Christian religion, or professwith the Presbyterian Board of the Gener-ed submission to the kingdom of Messiah. al Assembly, and contributes to the sup-It gives support to the enemies of the Report of the missionaries sent out by that Board. The monthly concert of prayer is observed in their churches generally, and collections taken at each meeting to aid the cause of missions. Each synod has a Domestic Missionary Society, the object of which is to aid small congregations and plant new ones in destitute places, especially in the Western frontier states. deemer, and admits to its honours and emoluments Jews, Mohammedans, Deists, and Atheists. It establishes that system of robbery by which men are held in slavery, despoiled of liberty, property, and proREFORMED PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH.-Re-tection. It violates the principles of repformed Presbyterians (or, as they are resentation, by bestowing upon the domessometimes called, Covenanters) are the tic tyrant, who holds hundreds of his feldescendants of the persecuted Presbyteri-low-creatures in bondage, an influence in making laws for freemen proportioned to the number of his own slaves. This Constitution is, notwithstanding its numerous excellences, in many instances inconsistent, oppressive, and impious.”* Their opposition to the Constitution, however, has been the opposition of reason and piety. The weapons of their warfare are arguments and prayers. They consider themselves bound to live peaceably with men, to advance the good of society, conform to its order in everything consistent with righteousness, and submit to every burden which God, in his providence, calls them to bear. During the late war with Great Britain, no portion of the citizens were more forward in defence of the country than Reformed Presbyterians. In 1807 they published a doctrinal Testimony, containing a brief statement of the principles which they hold, and a testimony against opposing errors, with special reference to the evils existing in the national Constitution, and the constitutions of the churches around them. They continued united in the maintenance of this testimony, neither holding communion with other churches, nor offices in the State, nor voting at elections for civil officers, nor admitting any slaveholder to their communion till about 1830, when, their number being considerably increased, several ministers began to entertain opinions different from those which were formerly held by the body on several points relating to doctrine, order, and discipline. These men were led to modify their views on the subject of acknowledging the government of the country, and avowing allegiance to it. This introduced what has been called the New Light controversy, which has since agitated all departments of the Presbyterian family, and resulted in a division of the Synod, and the organization of a rival synod in the Reformed Presbyterian Church, which still maintains a separate existence. At present, however, they are endeavouring to form a union with the Associate Presbyterian Church, and their efforts promise success, as the articles of union are nearly concluded. This controversy greatly distressed the church, and so weakened the old Synod that she has not been able to establish any foreign mission. The members of the church generally retained their attachment to the subordinate standards, and, in consequence, many congregations were left without pastors. The Theological Seminary for a time suspended its operations, so that labourers for a foreign field could not be obtained; but home missions, especially in the West, have been prosecuted with considerable zeal. A more prosperous season has returned. The * Historical Testimony, page 152. R Theological Seminary in Alleghany Town, Pennsylvania, has been revived. It has two professors, Rev. James R. Willson, D.D., and Rev. Thomas Sproull; fourteen students were in attendance last session; a considerable library for the Semi[nary has been collected, and the Synod proposes to establish a mission in 1844, in the West Indies, making St. Thomas the centre of operation. There are thirty-three ministers, five licentiates, fifty organized congregations, with numerous small societies, and nearly 6000 communicants. With this Synod the Reformed Presbyterian Synods in Scotland and Ireland maintain fraternal intercourse. On the other hand, the New Synod has now twenty-four ordained ministers, five licentiates, eight students in theology, forty-four organized churches, and 4500 communicants. It has five presbyteries, and sustains, in connexion with the Board of Foreign Missions of the Old School General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church, two missionaries in India. Besides supporting these two missionaries, the Board of Missions of this Synod sustains a school containing twenty-eight children, in connexion with their Indian mission. They have been active, also, in prosecuting the work of domestic missions, and, thus, of building up churches in the West and other parts of the country. The receipts of their Board of Missions average about $2800 annually. The entire body of the Reformed Presbyterians in the United States embraces, therefore, fifty-seven ordained ministers, ten licentiates, about twenty students of theology, ninety-four organized congregations, and 10,500 communicants. This small body has not been deficient in men distinguished for ministerial gifts and extensive learning. The late Alexander M'Leod, D.D., ranked in his day with Mason, Griffin, Dwight, and other giants of the land. CHAPTER XII. SMALLER PRESBYTERIAN CHURCHES: THE LUTHERAN CHURCH. THE first Lutherans that emigrated to America came from Holland, and settled at New-York about the year 1626, that is, two years after the regular settlement of New Netherlands by the Dutch. But they were few in number, and as long as the Dutch held the country, they worshipped in private houses only. But on the colony being transferred to the English, in 1664, they obtained leave to open a place of public worship, and had for their first minister Jacob Fabricius, who arrived in 1669. Next among the Lutherans came the Swedish colony that settled on the Delaware in 1636. It flourished for a while, but receiving no new-comers from Sweden, the colonists gradually fell into the use of the English tongue, and as there were no Lutheran clergymen who could preach in English, on losing their Swedish pastors they went to the English Episcopal Church for religious teachers, and became ultimately merged in that denomination. Nevertheless, by their charter they are still styled Swedish Lutheran churches.* mencement of the Revolutionary war. But it, as well as other churches, suffered much from that war. Many of the German colonists took up arms in defence of their adopted country. The early wars with the Indians, also, proved very prejudicial to the Lutheran churches on the frontiers. The rapid progress made by this Church since the Revolution, and particularly since the constitution of its General Synod in 1820, may be seen from the following succinct summary, taken from the Lutheran Almanac for 1843, and fully to be relied on. The number of Ministers and Licentiates is 423 Congregations 1,371 Communicants. 146,303 The third Lutheran emigration to the United States was that of the Germans. The first settlements were in Pennsylvania, soon after the grant of that province to William Penn, in 1680, whence they spread, by degrees, not only through Pennsylvania, but also into Maryland, Virginia, the interior of New-York, and, since the Revolution, over the Western States. Em-eign missionary society, and a book esigration from Germany may be said to have fairly commenced on a large scale in 1710. Its primary cause lay in the persecution of the Protestants in the Palatinate. It has continued from that time to this day, adding tens of thousands almost every year to the population of the country. The western, northern, and southern parts of Germany, and the German parts of Switzerland, together with Alsace, in France, have, from first to last, sent immense multitudes to America in quest of homes. Besides one General Synod, there are nineteen District Synods, twelve of which' are united with the General Synod. There are four theological seminaries, one college, and four classical schools, one orphan house, an education society, a for The first emigrants brought no pastors with them, but they had pious schoolmasters who held meetings on the Sabbath, and read the Scriptures, Arndt's True Christianity, and other religious books. The Swedish ministers, too, of those early times visited the small scattered groups of faithful souls, and administered to them the ordinances of religion. Among the first German ministers in America were the Rev. Messrs. Bolzius and Gronau, who laboured in a colony from Saltzburg, in the south of Germany. These emigrants had been driven from their native country by persecution, and had settled in Georgia. Other emigrants from Germany settled about the same time in the Carolinas, where a considerable number of Lutheran churches are to be found at this day. In 1742, the Rev. Henry Melchior Muhlenberg, an eminently learned, zealous, and successful minister, arrived, and, during a course of fifty years, was the honoured instrument of greatly promoting religion among the German population. He was one of the founders, in fact, of the Lutheran Church in America, which, by repeated arrivals of other distinguished men from Germany, had become widely extended before the com"Annals of the Swedes on the Delaware," by the Rev. J. C. Clay, p. 3, 4, 161, &c. tablishment. During the year 1841, the Lutheran ministry received an accession of fifty-eight new members; 9022 new members were added to the churches by confirmation, and 9000 by emigration :17,776 children and adults were baptized.. Three new synods were formed in 1841, seventy-six new churches built, and eighty-eight new congregations organized. These results do, indeed, call for heartfelt thanks to the Giver of all good. I know not a single circumstance more promising in regard to true religion in America, than its rapid progress among the vast German population of the United States, as exhibited in the Lutheran and German Reformed Churches. Wonderful, indeed, has been the change during the last twenty years. The establishment of Pennsylvania College, at Gettysburg, under the auspices of the General Synod, has been a great blessing. This college, which has been liberally assisted by the Legislature of Pennsylvania, and receives $1000 a year from that state, has a president, five able professors, and about 150 students. The General Synod's theological seminary, which, also, is placed at Gettysburg, has three distinguished professors, and usually from twenty-five to thirty students. It began in 1826, with one professor, the Rev. Samuel S. Schmucker, D.D., to whom, under God, it mainly owes its existence; since which time it has educated upward of 150 young men for the ministry. The institution is most pleasantly situated, and has a well-selected library, great part of which, together with a considerable amount of funds for the founding of the seminary, was obtained in Germany through the efforts of the Rev. Benjamin Kurtz, D.D. The Lutherans have three other theological schools, one at Hartwick, in New-York, another at Lexington, in South Carolina, as the following: First, it entirely rejects the and a third at Columbus, Ohio. Sixty-one authority of the fathers in ecclesiastical controyoung men were prosecuting their studies versy. The Reformers relied too much at these in 1841, and 115 more were en- upon them. Secondly, it no longer regaged in preparatory studies at academies quires assent to the doctrine of the real or and colleges. These simple facts exhibit bodily presence of the Saviour in the Euchaan extraordinary change in the state of this rist. In other words, it has renounced the church from what it was twenty-five years doctrine of consubstantiation, and holds ago. that of our Lord's spiritual presence, as Among its distinguished men we may understood by other evangelical Protestmention the Rev. Messrs. Bolzius, Gronau, ants. Again, it has rejected the remnant of H. M. Muhlenburg, Kunze, Schmidt, Kurtz, private confession which it at first retained. another Muhlenburg, Helmuth, Melshei- Fourth, it has abolished the remains of Pamer, Lochman, Schæffer, Shober, Geissen- pal superstition in the abjuration of evil hainer, Schmucker (father of the profes- spirits at baptism. Fifth, it has made a sor), all men of great influence in their more systematic adjustment of its docday. Several of its living ministers, also, trines. Sixth, it has adopted a more regare men of acknowledged talents, learn- ular and a stricter system of church disciing, piety, and usefulness. Many of the pline. This, as respects individual churchearlier ministers were educated at Franke's es, is essentially Presbyterian. The SynInstitute at Halle, which, indeed, may be ods, in their organization and powers, reregarded as the mother of the Lutheran semble Presbyteries, but with fewer forChurch throughout a large part of the Uni-malities, and their decisions are couched ted States.* more in the form of recommendations; while the General Synod is altogether ad The same doctrines are held as in the evangelical Lutheran churches in the vari-visory, and resembles the General Assoous countries of Europe, with some differences which we shall presently notice. They comprehend the following points: "The Trinity of persons in one Godhead;" "the proper and eternal divinity of the Lord Jesus Christ;" "the universal depravity of our race;" "the vicarious nature and unlimited extent of the atonement;"" that men are justified gratuitously, for Christ's sake, through faith;"" the word and sacraments means of grace;" a future judgment, and the award of eternal life and happiness to the righteous, and eternal misery to the wicked." On the subject of election, predestination, &c., they are well known to be rather Arminian than Calvinistic. 66 The Lutheran Church in America has a short but excellent liturgy, while her ministers are at the same time allowed a discretionary power with regard to its use. It observes a few of the chief festivals, such as Christmas, Good Friday, Easter Sunday, Ascension Day, and Whitsunday. Like the Episcopal and the German Reformed churches, it administers the rite of confirmation to baptized persons after their arriving at years of discretion, and going through a course of catechetical and biblical instruction. It deserves notice that the Lutheran Church in the United States, as those who are intimately acquainted with it will acknowledge, differs from what it once was, and from some of its sister churches in Europe, in regard to a few such points * Nor have the churches in America ceased to feel a warm interest in the Alma Mater of so many of their pastors. When she suffered so much from the French in 1814, collections were promptly made by them, and forwarded to the amount of $2334. ciations of the Congregational churches of New-England. Conferences of several neighbouring ministers, and protracted meetings, are held, with preaching, for the benefit of their congregations. And, lastly, its ministers are no longer bound to all the minute points of an extended human creed. All that is required of them is a belief in the Bible, and in the Augsburg Confession as a substantially correct expression of Bible doctrines. The American Lutheran Church thinks that a written creed should be short, comprehending, like that of the apostles, which was for a long time the only creed in the primitive churches, the doctrines necessary to salvation. So much for its doctrines, order, and discipline.* I have only to add, that this church takes a deep and increasing interest every year in the religious and benevolent undertakings of our times. Sunday-schools and Bible-classes are very generally to be found in her congregations. She has had an Education Society, with numerous branches, since 1835, which has assisted above 100 young men in preparing for the ministry. We shall speak hereafter of her Foreign Missionary Society, founded in 1837. Finally, two valuable religious papers, one in English, and the other in German, extensively diffuse among the people intelligence relating to the progress of the Redeemer's kingdom on the earth. * In making this statement, I have been greatly indebted to Professor Schmucker's "Portraiture of Lutheranism," and his "Retrospect of Lutheranism in the United States," both published at the request of the General Synod of the Church. |