he arguments with which they
urged the necessity of obtaining them, were so extravagant that they
appear almost incredible. "If any man," said they, "purchase letters of
indulgence, his soul may rest secure with respect to its salvation. The
souls confined in purgatory, for whose redemption indulgences are
purchased, as soon as the money is paid, instantly escape from that place
of torment, and ascend into heaven." They said that the efficacy of
indulgences was so great, that the most heinous sins would be remitted and
expiated by them, and the person be freed both from punishment and guilt:
this was the unspeakable gift of God, in order to reconcile man to
himself; the cross erected by the preachers of indulgences was equally
efficacious with the cross of Christ. "Lo," said they, "the heavens are
open; if you enter not now, when will you enter? For twelve pence you may
redeem the soul of your father out of purgatory; and are you so ungrateful
that you will not rescue the soul of your parent from torment? If you had
but one coat, you ought to strip yourself of that instantly, and sell it,
in order to purchase such benefit," &c.

It was against these preachers of licentiousness, and their diabolical
conduct, that Luther began first to declaim.

REFORMED CHURCHES.

The Reformed churches comprehend the whole Protestant churches in Europe
and America, whether Lutheran, Calvinistic, Independent, Quaker, Baptist,
or any other denomination who dissent from the church of Rome. The term
_Reformed_ is now, however, more particularly employed to distinguish the
Calvinists from the Lutherans.

The Reformed churches in America are the two following:--

Reformed Dutch Church.

This is the oldest body of Presbyterians in America: it descended
immediately from the church of Holland; and, for about a century from its
commencement in this country, it hung in colonial dependence on the
Classis of Amsterdam, and the Synod of North Holland, and was unable to
ordain a minister, or perform any ecclesiastical function of the kind,
without a reference to the parent country and mother church.

The origin of this church will lead us back to the earliest history of the
city and state of New York; for they were first settled by this people,
and by them a foundation was laid for the first churches of this
persuasion, the most distinguished of which were planted at New York,
(then called New Amsterdam,) Flatbush, Esopus, and