THE NEW SCHAFF-HERZOG
munion services, those who live too far away from the church hold meetings in private homes, led by the elders of the several districts. The church is supported by voluntary contributions of the members. The official organ of the church is Het Kerkblad, a monthly. The spirit of the denomination is strictly Calvinistic, in harmony with the three doctrinal standards of all Reformed Churches of Holland origin. The leaders of this church are largely influenced by the writings of Drs. Kuyper and Bavinck of the Netherland Reformed churches. The theological school of the denomination was opened in 1869 in Burghersdorp, Cape Colony, and since 1905 is located in Potchefstroom. Its faculty consists of four professors. This church more and more realizes the need of mission work, and is carrying it on in a few places within and without its domain. The Church Order of Dordrecht forms the basis of the church government.
6. "Hervormde" Church of the Transvaal': This church is composed of Reformed Dutch people who followed Rev. D. Van der Hoff, who at first, in 1856, had joined the Dutch Reformed Church of the Cape Colony, but later on seceded because he considered that church too rigidly Calvinistic. The Hervormde Church is very much akin to the State Church in the Netherlands, being quite rationalistic in its doctrines and loose in its discipline. It numbers 21 churches, with about 10,000 members. Its general assembly is composed of the ministers, one-half of the eldership of each congregation, and two deacons of each consistory, and meets biennially.
Henry Beets.
Bibliography: For the Netherlands consult: I. Le Long, Kort historisch Verhaal van de Oorsprung der Ned. Gereformeerde Kerken onder 't Cruis, Amsterdam, 1751; J. J. Altmeyer, Les Precurseurs de la riforme aux Pays Bas, 2 vols., Paris, 1856; C. Hooijer, Oude Kerkordeningen der Ned. Herv. Gemeenten {1663-1638), Zaltbommel, 1865; J. Knappert, De nederlandsche Hervormde Kerk, Leyden, 1883; II. G. Hansen, Reformed Church in the Netherlands, New York, 1884; J. Gloel, Hollands kirchliches Leben, Wittenberg, 1885; H. J. M. Everts, Onze Kerken, 's Bosch- Zwoller, 1887; H. G. Kleyn, Algemeene Kerk en Plaatselijke Gemeente, Dordrecht, 1888; W. H. de S. Lohman, De Kerkgebouwen van de Gereformeerde-Hervormde-Kerk, Amsterdam, 1888; J. I. Good, Rambles round Reformed Lands, Reading, Pa., 1889; J. H. Gunning, Het Protestantsche Nederland onzer dagen, Groningen, 1889; F. L. Rutgers, Acta van de Ned. Synoden der zestiende Eeuw, The Hague, 1889; idem, De Geldigheid van de oude Kerkenordening der Ned. Gereformeerde Kerken, Amsterdam, 1890; J. H. Gunning, Opmerking en over het liturgische Element in den Gereformeerden Cultus, Groningen, 1890; Boehl, Prolegomena voor eene gereformeerde Dogmatiek, Amsterdam, 1892; P. J. Muller, Handboek der dogmatiek, ten dienste der Ned. Hervormde Kerk, Groningen, 1895; W. E. Griffis, Brave Little Holland and What she Taught us, Boston, 1894; and the literature under Holland.
For the church in America as sources consult: Minutes of the Coetus, 1737-71, of the Provisional Synod, 1771- 1793, of the General Synod, 1794 sqq. (official); Constitution of the Reformed Protestant Dutch Church, New York, 1793 (republished as needed); Documentary History of New York, 4 vols., Albany, 1850-51 ; Documents Relating to the Colonial Hi A. of New York, 14 vols., Albany, 1856- 1883; Magazine of the Reformed Protestant Dutch Church, 4 vols., 1827-30; A. Gunn, Memoir of Rev. John H. Livingston, New York, 1829, 2d ed., 1856; J. K. Brodhead, Hist, of the State of New York, 2 vols., New York, 1853-71; E. B. O'Callaghan. New Netherland, 2 vols., New York, 1855; Ecclesiastical Records of the State of New York, 6 vols., Albany, 1901-05. On the history consult: D. D. Demarest, Hist, and Characteristics of the Reformed Protestant Dutch Church, New York, 1856, 2d
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., ib. 1895 (both volumes contain indispensable lists of literature); W. B. Sprague, Annals of the American Pulpit, vol. ix.. New York, 1869; Centennial Celebration of Rutgers College, Albany, 1870; J. Brinkerhoff , Hist, 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, New Brunswick, N. J., New York, 1885* N. H. Dosker, De hollandsche Gereformeerde Kerk in America, Nijmegen, 1888; Historic Sketch of the Reformed Church in N. C. (by a board of editors under the Classis of N. C), Philadelphia, 1908.
For doctrine and legislation refer to: W. Hastie, Theology of the Reformed Church in its Fundamental Principles, New York, 1904; E. T. Corwin, Digest of Constitutional and Synodical Legislation of the Reformed Church in America, New York, 1906; M. J. Bosma, Exposition of Reformed Doctrine: a popular Explanation of the most essential Teachings of the Reformed Churches, Grand Rapids, Mich., 1907; and the literature under Heidelberg Catechism, and Dort, Synod op.
On Africa: C. Spoelstra, Van Zoeterwonde naar Pretoria, Capetown, 1898; and the minutes {Acta) of the Synods.
REFORMED CISTERCIANS. See Trappists.
REFORMED (COVENANTED) PRESBYTE- RIANS. See Presbyterians, 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 Tractarianism) 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 West, 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 $1,670,000, controls property in use, valued at about $1,835,000, and holds and is heir