The first ministers in America brought with them
GERMAN REF. CH. IN AMERICA 831
GERMANUS
chosen by four or more adjacent classes. The sjmods are subject to the General Synod. This body consists of ministers and elders chosen by all the classes of the Church. It is the highest judicatory, and the last re- sort in all cases respecting government not finally ad- judicated by the synods. Every judicatory has legis- lative authority within its own sphere ; every minis- ter and member possesses the right of appeal from a lower to a higher court.
All the children and youth are carefully catechized by the pastor once in two weeks, or once or twice a week, for a period of from three to nine months in the year, the time being determined by the ability of the pastor. Some pastors, particularly those located in cities and larger towns, have each but one church ; but the majority have parishes consisting of from two to four churches, and not a few of from five to eight. Catechumens possessing the requisite qualifications are, after examination in presence of the elders, re- ceived into the full communion of the Church by the rite of confirmation. The holy connnunion is com- monly administered twice a year, and in manj' of the churches four times. The communicants receive the sacred emblems by companies, standing around the al- tar. In many of the churches it is still customarj' to administer the communion to the sexes separately; first the men come to the altar, and afterwards the women. But this old German custom is going into disuse. In the English churches men and women ap- proach the altar in company ; so also in some of the German churches. Services preparatory to the cele- bration of the holj' communion are held on the Satur- day or Friday previous.
The baptism of infants is faithfullj'' and universally observed. Children are presented by their parents. Sponsors are allowed, but the parents themselves must also be present. Baptism may be administered at any time and in any suitable place, but an occasion of pub- lic worship in the church is held to be most appropriate.
The principal festivals, Cln-istmas, Good Friday, Easter, and Whit-Sunday, are held in high honor, and observed with much solemnity. The liturgy has re- vived the idea of the church year. In many congre- gations, the pulpit teaching and the worship observes the concrete historic movement of revelation from Ad- vent to Trinity Sunday, and from Trinity Sunday to Advent, as set forth in the catholic cj-cle of Lessons. As the liturgy becomes known and is appreciated, so does tlie observance of the church j'ear gain favor. Acquiring greater practical power from month to month, it is gradually receiving more general confi- dence, and being observed in all its parts.
There are connected with the General S3'nod 4 syn- ods : 1. The Synod of the German Reformed Church in the United States, with IG classes, 290 ministers, 718 congregations, and 88,G03 members ; 2. The Syn- od of Ohio and adjacent States, with 8 classes, 130 min- isters, 308 congregations, and 20,0G9 members ; 3. The North-western Synod, with 7 classes, 92 ministers, 166 congregations, and 9811 members ; 4. The Pittsburg Synod {m process of formation), which will have about 44 ministers, 126 congregations, and 9240 members. Its statistics are included in sj'nod No. 1 (two thirds) and in synod No. 2 (one third). Total, 31 classes, 512 ministers, 1192 congregations, 118,483 members. Ee- ceived bj' confirmation and certificate during the year, 11,337. Aggregate membership, including those who are baptized, but not confirmed, 192,000.
Institutions of Learning. — Two theological semina- ries. Seminary at Mercersburg, Pa., founded in 1825 : four professors, twentj^-eight students. Seminary at Tiffin, Ohio; founded at Canton, O., 1838; suspended from the foil of 1839 to 1848 ; reopened at Columbus, O., Oct., 1848; removed and permanently located at Tiffin, O., 1851 : two professors, twenty students. One mission -house, Sheboygan, Wis. : three professors, twenty-two students.
Two fully-organized colleges, (1.) Franklin and INlar- shall, at Lancaster, Pa. Franklin College, founded at Lancaster in 1787 ; and Marshall College, at ^lercers- burg, in 1836 ; IVanklin and Marshall consolidated at Lancaster in 1853 : seven professors, 116 students, 442 alumni. (2.) Heidelberg College, founded at Tiffin, 0., in 1850 : five proffessors, 182 students.
There are, besides, seven classical institutions : Ca- tawba College, Newton, N. C. ; Mercersburg College, Mercersburg, Pa. ; Palatinate College, Myerstown, Pa. ; Westmoreland College, iMount Pleasant, Pa. ; Reimers- burg Institute, Reiniersburg, Pa. ; Calvin Institute, Cleveland, 0. ; and Ursinus College, Montgomer}' Co., Pa. Mercersburg College is in process of organizing a full college course. It has 4 professors and 124 stu- dents. Two female seminaries ; one at Allentown, Pa., the other at Tj'rconnell, Md.
Periodicals.- — Two reviews, four weekly papers, and one semi-monthly ; one monthly magazine, and three Sunday-school papers.
There are two printing-establishments ; one at Phil- adelphia, Pa., and one at Cleveland, 0.
These statistics represent the condition of the Ger- man Reformed Church in America in 1869.
Literature. — Mercersburg lieriem (Phila. 16 vols.) ; Heidelberg Catechism, b}' Rev. J. W. Ne vin, D. D, (Phila. 1847) ; The Life nfRer. Michael Schlatter, by the Rev. H. Harbaugh, D.D. (1857) ; The Fathers of the Reform- ed Church (2 vols.), by Rev. Dr. Harbaugh ; The Prin- ciple of Protestantism, by Rev. Philip Schaff, D.D. (1845)'; The Mystical Presence, by Dr. Nevin (1846); The Liturgical Question, by Dr. Nevin (1862) ; The Ger- man Reformed Church, a monograph by Rev. E. V. Ger- hart, D.D. (1863) ; Tercentenary Monument (1863, p. 574) ; Der Heidelberger Catechismus, by Rev. Dr. Schaff (1863); A History and Criticism of the Ritualistic Move- ment ill the German Reformed Church, by tlie Rev. J. H. A. Bomberger, D.D. (1866) ; Vindication of the Re- vised Liturgy, by Dr. Nevin (1867). Cnnip. the Hei- delberg Catechism in German, Latin, and English, with an historical introduction, prepared and published by the direction of the German Reformed Church in the U. S. of America (tercentenary edition, N. Y., Charles Scribner, 1863, p. 277). Also a Liturgy for the use of the Ger. Ref. Church in the U. S. of America (1858, p. 340) ; revised under the title An Order of Worship for the Ref. Ch. (Phila., S. R. Fisher & Co., 1867, p. 388). See also Creed and Customs, by Rev. George B. Russell, A.M. (Phila., S. R. Fisher & Co., p. 420). (E. V. G.)