The first judicatory higher than a consistory, among this people, was a Cætus, formed in 1747. The object and powers of this assembly were merely those of advice and fraternal intercourse. It could not ordain ministers, nor judicially decide in ecclesiastical disputes, without the consent of the Classis of Amsterdam.

The first regular Classis among the Dutch was formed in 1757. But the formation of this Classis involved this infant church in the most unhappy collisions, which sometimes threatened its very existence. These disputes continued for many years, by which two parties were raised in the church, one of which was for, and the other against, an ecclesiastical subordination to the judicatories of the mother church and country. These disputes, in which eminent men on both sides were concerned, besides disturbing their own peace and enjoyment, produced unfavourable impressions towards them among their brethren at home.

In 1766, John H. Livingston, D.D., then a young man, went from New-York to Holland, to prosecute his studies in the Dutch universities. By his representations, a favourable disposition was produced towards the American church in that country; and, on his return, in full convention of both parties, an amicable adjustment of their differences was made, and a friendly correspondence was opened with the church in Holland, which was continued until the revolution of the country under Bonaparte.

The Dutch church suffered much, in the loss of its members, and in other respects, by persisting to maintain its service in the Dutch language after it had gone greatly into disuse. The solicitation for English preaching was long resisted, and Dr. Lasdlie, a native of Scotland, was the first minister in the Dutch church in North America, who was expressly called to officiate in the English language.

The religious views of the Dutch Reformed church may be regarded as having been definitely embodied and promulgated at the Synod of Dort, of which we have already made mention. This synod was an assembly of Protestant

divines convoked at Dort in 1618-19, by the States-General, under the influence of Maurice, prince of Nassau; and here the tenets of the Arminians on the five points relating to election, redemption, original sin, effectual grace and perseverance, were condemned by the adherents of Calvinism. Among the members of this assembly were ecclesiastical deputies from Switzerland, England, and Scotland.

It was at this synod, that the project of translating the Bible into Dutch was originated The execution of the task was entrusted to some of the most learned men of the time; and, after the lapse of nineteen years, their labours were given to the world in what has since been known as the Dort Bible.

GERMAN REFORMED CHURCH.

As the Dutch Reformed church in the United States is an exact counterpart of the church of Holland, so the German Reformed is of the Reformed or Calvinistic church of Germany. The people of this persuasion were among the early settlers of Pennsylvania: here their churches were first formed; but they are now to be found in nearly all the states south and west.

The German Reformed churches in the United States, remained in a scattered and neglected state until 1746, when the Rev. Michael Schlatter, who was sent from Europe for the purpose, collected them together, and placed their concerns in a more prosperous train. They have since increased to a numerous body, and are assuming an important stand among the American Presbyterians.

This denomination is scattered over the Middle, Western, and Southern States, but is most numerous in the states of Ohio and Pennsylvania. The population of the church in the United States is estimated at three hundred thousand. It has one hundred and eighty ministers; six hundred congregations, and thirty thousand communicants.

CHAPTER X.

BAPTISM-PÆDOBAPTISTS-ANABAPTISTS-BAPTISTS--FREE

WILL BAPTISTS-SABBATARIANS-MENNONITES-DUNKERS
-FREE COMMUNION BAPTISTS.

THE rite of initiation into the community of Christians, ordained by Christ himself, when he commissioned his apostles to go and baptise all nations in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, is called baptism, from the Greek word Buлro, I dip.

It is recorded by the Evangelists, that our Saviour himself received baptism from John; and the ceremony which the baptist performed is allowed generally to have been an imitation of a rite in common practice among the Jews, who appear to have admitted proselytes by circumcision and baptism. Lustration, however, by water, as an imitatory rite, is of great antiquity and general practice, especially in the East; and Christian Baptism may be considered as an adaptation of a form, which was generally understood to have a symbolical meaning. Accordingly, it has been recognised by all Christian communities as a sacrament, although they have differed in their explanation of its nature and meaning.

It is upon this point that the question of the validity of infant baptism principally depends; the words of Scripture in that particular, not being allowed on all hands to be decisive, nor even the practice of the early church universally admitted. Those, therefore, who consider baptism to be a symbol of a covenant thereupon entered into between God and the person baptised, require the under standing of the person to accompany the act, and reject the notion of sponsors undertaking to promise on the part of infants; the more common notion, however, conceives this sacrament to have in itself a regenerative virtue, by

which an infant may be received into participation in the promises made to the church, and be really and truly from that time forth put into the way of salvation.

Baptism was originally administered by immersion, which act is thought by some to be necessary to the sacrament. It is not clear, however, even from the Scripture history, that this ceremony was always adhered to. At present sprinkling is generally substituted for dipping, at least in Northern climates.

Those Christians who hold that Baptism should be administered during infancy, are, in ecclesiastical language, termed PÆDOBAPTISTS, from the Greek nas, a child. Of course, nearly the whole Christian world, except the Baptists and Friends, are Pædobaptists.

All sects, which insist upon the repetition of baptism upon admission into their communion, from a notion of the invalidity of the religious ceremonies of other denominations, may be, properly speaking, called ANABAPTISTS.

BAPTISTS.

The denominations of Christians, who deny the validity of infant baptism, and maintain the necessity of immersion, are called Baptists. Some of them entertain Calvinistic and others Arminian sentiments. The Regular, or Associated Baptists, who constitute the most numerous body of Baptists in the United States, incline to the former doctrines.

Being Independent, or Congregational in their form of church government, the ecclesiastical assemblies of the Baptists disclaim all right to interfere with the concerns of individual churches. Their public meetings, by delegation from different churches, are held for the purpose of mutual advice and improvement, but not for the general government of the whole body.

The champions of this sect maintain that the word baptise signifies immersion or dipping only; that John baptised in Jordan; that he chose a place where there was much water; that Jesus came up out of the water; that

Philip and the eunuch went down both into the water; that the terms washing, purifying, burying in baptism, so often mentioned in Scripture, allude to this mode; that immersion only was the practice of the apostles and the first christians; and that it was only laid aside from the love of novelty and the coldness of our climate.

With regard to the subjects of Baptism, they allege that it ought not to be administered to children or infants at all, nor to adults in general; but to those only who profess repentance for sin and faith in Christ. Our Saviour's commission to his apostles, by which Christian baptism was instituted, is to go and teach all nations, baptising them, &c.; that is, not to baptise all they meet with, but first to examine and instruct them, and whoever will receive instruction to baptise in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. This construction of the passage is confirmed by another passage-" Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature ; he that believeth and is baptised, shall be saved." To such persons, and to such only, say the advocates of this sect, baptism was administered by the apostles and the immediate disciples of Christ; for those who were baptised in primitive times are described as repenting of their sins, and believing in Christ. See Acts 2: 38; 8: 37, and other passages of Scripture.

They further insist that all positive institutions depend entirely upon the will and declaration of the institution; and that, therefore, reasoning by analogy from previous abrogated rites is to be rejected, and the express commands of Christ respecting the mode and subjects of baptism ought to be our only rule. See Matt. 3: 5, 6, 11, 1316; 20: 22, 23; 21: 25; 28: 19. Mark 1: 4, 5, 8, 9, 10; 11: 30; 16: 15, 16. Luke 3: 3, 7, 12, 16, 21; 7 29, 30; 12:50; 20: 4. John 1: 28, 31, 33; 3: 22, 23; 4: 1, 2. Acts 1: 5, 22; 2: 38, 41,; 8: 12, 13, 36 -39; 9: 18; 10: 37, 47, 48; 13: 24; 16:15, 33; 18: 8, 25; 19: 4, 5; 22: 16. Rom. 6: 3,4. 1 Cor. 1: 13 —17; 10: 2; 12: 13; 15: 29. Gal. 3:27. Eph. 4: 5 Col. 2. 12. Heb. 6: 2. Pet. 3:21.