Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1901-03-16
THE REFORMED CHURCH.
EXTENDS FAR BACK TO THE DAYS
OF THE REFo NATION.
Vice President Roosevelt to
Faifh of his Father.

80 tlAE - A'@ y W ~
newspaper, Rev. DIR. Cyrus Cort, of
Sabillasville, Md. gives a brief sketch
Of the history Of the two branches of
the Reformed church.
lit will doubtless seem strange to
many people in some parts of our
country to read in the Associated Press
dispatches from Washington, ID. G.
that Vice-President Roosevelt and
wife had attended religious services
last Sunday in the German Reformed
church in Washington, etc. The
church is located at O street between
Rhode Island avenue and Fifteenth
street. The words German and Dutch
are very misleading and really mis-
nomers now as applied TO these
branches of the historic
Protestant church of Reformation
days. These prefixes were officially
omitted long ago. Both denominations
are prominently American, and the
English language has been in prevail
ing use in both for nsany years.
1.-The Dutch Reformed church mot
Reform church, as stated in the dis
Datches) was founded In New York in
1923. Peter Minuit, the first and
ablest Dutch Governor of New York
land of Delaware, was a ruling elder
Of that first Reformed organization
on Manhattan Island 273 years ago.
The German Reformed church WIS es-
tablished a century later, and has it's
main strength in Pennsylvania, Mary
land, Ohio and the Middle West. Al
ready, in 1747, a German Reformed
congregation was established at Fred
ericpk, Md, by Rev, Michael Schlat-
ter, Of which Thomas Schley, a wor-
thy and pious parochinal school teach
err, was IL of the ruling elders. He
was the ancestor Of Admiral Schley
and many other persons eminent in
the history of Maryland, Georgia and
the nation at large. There are over
a dozen Reformed congregations in
Baltimore now. Most of them use the
English language in all their services.
I'm Europe Professionalism divided
in Reformation days into two dis
the mode of Christ's presence in the
Lords Supper. Those who held Luz
theirs particular view went by his
name il e., Lutherians4; those who
endorsed the views of Zwingli, Calvin
and Mefancthon(in his later years)#
held to the generic name Reformed.
These Were distinguished by national
prefixes, as German, Swiss, French
and Dugeh Reformed. The Heidelberg
catechism, prepared by the Church of
the German Palatinate and published
first in 1868, was their common confess
standard. Tire Dutch Reform
ed also In 1919, adopted the Articles
of bort, which, however, were never
officially Endorsed bv the Germans.
Swiss and French Reformed, although
these branches were CaFvinistic on
all church questions. The Kings of
Prussia, as Emperor William l ono
told DIR. Philip Sehaff, were carefully
brought up i'll the doctrines of the
heidelberg c%atechisms
Although Admiral Coligny the
head of the French Reformed church
and William of Orange, the head of
the Dutch Reformed church and
founder of the Dutch Republic, were
assassinated at the behest of Philip III
of Spain. their mingled blood flows
through the veins of the leading
sovereigns of Europe today including
the Emperor of Germany, the Car of
Russia and the good Wilehemina of
Holland. Although the Reformed
church OF German lineage only mum
bers a quarter Of a million communi-
cants with a corresponding number
OF baptized but uncoufirmed members
under the care Of 200 patsors in the
United States, and the Dutch branch
contains still fewer adherents in
America, they glory in their historic
heritage, consecrated by the blood of
martyrs among the vineclad hills of
the Rhine ON the sunny fields of
France and the lowlands of Holland.
1.-THE Reformed church was pre-eml-
emily in all it's branches the church of
special champion of civil and religious
liberty in every land where its prin-
cipals became %enshrined i'm the
hearts of the people.
"Vice-President Roosevelt evinces
genuine Christian manliness by adj
herring to the faith of his ancestors,
regardless of claims of fashion"